Jamie Gillan

By Zak Failla From Daily Voice

"The Scottish Hammer" had a day to forget for the New York Giants.

The Leonardtown High School graduate, who came to the US when his father was stationed as a member of the Royal Air Force in Maryland struggled on Sunday, as the Giants fell 20-24 against the Chicago Bears on a snowy day in the Windy City.

Gillan's long day began with a kickoff that went out of bounds, and a second that didn't reach the NFL's new "landing zone," giving the Bears optimal field position.

But it was his fourth-quarter kick that set up the Bears and Caleb Williams' game-winning drive.

With time ticking down and the Giants nursing a small lead, Gillan, 27, shanked a punt 26 yards to set up the winning touchdown drive for Chicago.

The loss was the 11th straight on the road for the Giants, who also lost Jaxson Dart to a concussion in the third quarter after posting a pair of rushing touchdowns earlier in the game.

Gillan, a Scotland native who settled with his family in Maryland in 2013, played at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. He went undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft before the Cleveland Browns picked him up. 

He was later signed to the Buffalo Bills' practice squad and was picked up by the Giants in 2022. He signed a lucrative three-year deal in New York earlier this year.

According to Pro Football Focus, Gillan is averaging fewer than 45 yards per punt this season, which came to a head on Sunday in the loss against the Bears.