The NY Giants defense made a statement in Sunday’s upset win over the Seahawks, holding Seattle’s offense to just 13 points — not counting Eric Gray’s unfortunate fumble that was returned for a touchdown. A big reason for that was the bounce-back performance by cornerback Deonte Banks, who had been under fire for quite a while.
Many G-Men fans were convinced Banks was not the answer at cornerback a week ago. Who could blame them? Even defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson called him out on his poor effort after he lazily allowed a touchdown to CeeDee Lamb in Week 4. Well, the former first-round pick silenced his critics with his best showing of the campaign.
Deonte Banks vs DK Metcalf this week:
— PFF (@PFF) October 8, 2024
🔒 3 targets
🔒 1 catch allowed (10 yards)
🔒 2 forced incompletions
🔒 1 forced fumble pic.twitter.com/P7aauvp4Ec
Deonte Banks bounced back in a huge way against DK Metcalf
Metcalf, a two-time Pro Bowler and one of the most intimidating wideouts in the NFL, could not get it going last week. When covered by Banks, he managed only one catch on three targets for 10 yards. Yet on the one reception he did have, the former Maryland corner punched the ball out and forced a fumble that swung the momentum in the Giants' favor.
No one could have predicted this kind of game from Banks. Amari Cooper and Lamb had feasted on him in NY's previous two meetings, so Metcalf looked primed for a similar outing. Instead, he was bottled up all game by the second-year defensive back. Banks might have finally taken that next step.
He finished with a 84.6 Pro Football Focus grade, the highest mark on the team. His 87.8 coverage grade was the third-highest in the league in Week 5. That is quite the jump for a player who had been one of the worst cornerbacks in the NFL leading up to this contest — Banks had allowed a league-worst four touchdowns and 259 receiving yards.
In one of the Giants' most impressive wins of the decade, Banks showed up when it mattered most. He kept Metcalf quiet all game and looked every bit like the player general manager Joe Schoen envisioned when he drafted him last year. If Banks keeps up this level of play, there is real hope for him as CB1 and for Big Blue's defensive unit in the future.