Jaxson who?
When the Giants lost their second-year starting quarterback Jaxson Dart for the season due to a severe knee injury in Week 2 of their NFL campaign, their hopes to have a resurgence and make the playoffs for the first time since the 2022 season seemed bleak.
Facing the Los Angeles Rams on the road on Sept. 21, the 23-year-old Dart suffered injuries to the medial collateral ligament (MCL), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), and meniscus in his left knee in the first quarter of the Giants’ 28-6 loss. Veteran Jameis Winston, second on the quarterback depth chart for the Giants, looked unsteady and unready to take the reins, going 11-27 for 111 yards with an interception playing the remainder of the game.
Yet, heading into Week 5 this Sunday versus the 1-3 Washington Commanders on the road, the 32-year-old Winston, ever the optimist, is persevering as are the Giants. After defeating the Arizona Cardinals 36-24 at home at MetLife Stadium Sunday, Oct. 4, the Giants are 3-1 and in first place in the NFC East. It is the first time they have held sole possession of the top spot in the division four games into a season since 2015 and the first time the Giants have been 3-0 at home in 18 years.
The win against the Cardinals featured superlative performances from rookie linebacker Arvell Reese, wide receiver Malik Nabers, and punter Jordan Stout, solid ones from edge rusher Abdul Carter and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, and a functional outing from Winston, who threw three touchdowns and two interceptions. But the unlikely standout for John Harbaugh’s squad was cornerback Deonte Banks.
The much maligned fourth-year cornerback experienced his signature moment as a pro. A first-round pick (24th overall) by the Giants in the 2023 NFL Draft out of the University of Maryland, Banks’ career to this point has been uneven to put it mildly. He has often been a target and avatar of Giants fans’ frustration. But as he learned on Sunday, narratives and perceptions can be dramatically altered in a moment’s time.
The MetLife crowd showered adulation on Banks after he intercepted Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett with 11 seconds left in the game on 4th and goal from the Giants’ four-yard line as Arizona was threatening to score. With the Giants leading 30-24, barring a near miracle, a Cardinals touchdown would have virtually assured a win for them.
But Banks, nicknamed Tae, ended the final scene a hero, four plays after being called for a dubious pass interference call covering Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with 22 seconds remaining that placed Arizona in a favorable first-and-goal position from the four-yard line. In that moment, the inescapable thought was “same ole Banks.”
But Banks returned the interception 98 yards and inspired the Giants faithful into a state of shock and euphoria. Usually the movie concludes with the Giants and their loyalists disappointed and disheartened, with players somberly untangling their failings in the post-credit scene.
“That’s what winning is. That’s what winning teams do,” said an exuberant Harbaugh following the victory. “They find ways to win games…I was praying and I guess God came through. And you know who else came through? Tae Banks! Tae Banks came through with a huge play after a crazy pass interference penalty. I thought you had to touch the guy for it to be pass interference.”
Winston shared Harbaugh’s enthusiasm.
“It feels great. It feels great, man. Praise God. I just love the way we’re playing complementary football right now. And honestly, that’s all that matters at the end of the day.”
There are still 13 games to go in the regular season and some tough stretches are sure to arise without Dart. However, living in the present, the Giants are showing signs of having staying power.
