The New York Giants knew that Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey had a big leg and extended range, but late in a Week 2 loss, they decided to play it loose anyway.

That decision came back to bite them as Aubrey connected on a 64-yard field goal as time expired, sending the game into overtime. Then, as the final seconds ticked off the clock, he connected on a 46-yard field goal to win the game.

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In hindsight, head coach Brian Daboll wishes the defense had played it differently.

“We’d like to be a little bit tighter, but there’s a number of plays that came up throughout the game that if you have one different play there or here, it’s going to make a difference in a game like that,” he told reporters earlier in the week.

On Thursday, defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, whose unit surrendered 40 points in the loss, owned up to his mistake.

“I wish we would have been tighter, a little bit tighter. Again, just like all these calls that don’t work, second-guess that you probably wish you went in a different direction,” he said. “A tough, tough situation to come down to that one play. I have to be better. I wish we would have been better. Hopefully, we can move on and progress from it, learn from it, and be better. But feel for our guys. They battled for 92 plays and then came down to that one play. Feel for them.

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Bowen admits he’s easy to be correct in hindsight, but he knew what Aubrey was capable of at the time and still decided to gamble.

“I think, again, just the ability to possibly be tighter in those situations. Make sure we’re a little bit more on body as we go. Understanding that with the line. Everybody knew what the line was going to be for him,” he said. “But just opportunities to be a little bit tighter, potentially, on those guys. Any call you make, if it doesn’t work, you second-guess it. You second-guess it, and you have to look at them all and evaluate what’s best for the situation, what’s best for these players, and go from there.”

Through two weeks, there’s a lot to second-guess for Bowen. The Giants are dead last in total defense (allowing 445 yards per game) and fifth-worst in points allowed per game (30.5).

This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants’ Shane Bowen second-guesses Week 2 play-calling