Giants Country

CB Deonte Banks Earns Kudos Following Giants Win vs. Seattle

Banks limited Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf in Sunday's 29-20 win.

Andrew Parsaud

Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks (3) enters the field before a game against the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium.
Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks (3) enters the field before a game against the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium. / John Jones-Imagn Images
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A week after having one of the worst performances of the 2024 NFL season, New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks responded with one of his best showings in Sunday’s 29-20 win over the Seattle Seahawks. 

Banks, who had a forgettable first quarter of 2024, was called out publicly by Giants defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson last week, who openly admitted to being displeased with the effort of the second-year cornerback game on Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb’s 55-yard touchdown catch in the Giants Week 4 loss to their NFC East rivals.

Banks, who per Pro Football Focus had allowed a league-high four touchdowns and the fifth-most yards surrendered (259)while forcing just two incompletions in the Giants’ first four games, raised questions about his qualifications to cover the opponent’s top receiver. 

Henderson challenged Banks to do better. He responded against DK Metcalf in the Giants’ most recent win. 

In a hostile environment in Seattle, Banks tuned out the noise, produced three pass breakups, and forced a fumble, a performance the defense desperately needed from its young cornerback. 

His performance earned him PFF’s Player of the Game for the Giants.

"Banks blanketed the Seahawks' receivers, though, and forced three incompletions in the game alone,” PFF noted. “The second-year cornerback let up just two catches for 17 yards in, by far, his best coverage showing of the year." 

Banks' play on Sunday was magnificent, and the secondary deserves major credit for stepping up to the challenge of a Seahawks offense with multiple playmakers. 

"I thought Tae (Deonte Banks) did some good things (Sunday)," head coach Brian Daboll said. "Again, there's plenty of things that we can all clean up. But it was a good step to get that ball out there on (Seattle Seahawks wide receiver) DK (Metcalf) after they were driving down on a big play and get his hands on some balls to break them up. I thought (it was) a tough challenge there against DK (Metcalf) the entire game. But, young players still keep on improving them."

While Banks is an obvious choice for "Player of the Game" honors, we believe the Player of the Game award should have gone to defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II.

Lawrence has been on a tear all season long, which was no different in Seattle. The All-Pro nose tackle tallied three sacks, four quarterback hits, two tackles for a loss, and five pressures. 

He dominated the interior of the Seahawks' offensive line, creating problems all day long. He's been doing this at an insane level and has made a real case not just to be the league's best nose tackle, but best player overall.

Lawrence is now on pace for 20.5 sacks, 14 tackles for a loss, and 78 pressures. His performance against the Seahawks was an authoritative display of what he can do every week. 

Taking this into account, Lawrence had 4.5 sacks all of last season. His three sacks against Seattle skyrocketed his total to six on the year through just five games.

Banks and Lawrence both deserve credit. At the end of the day, as long as the Giants' defensive playmakers are impacting the game as they did on Sunday, there'll be plenty more 'Player of the Game' awards to go around.

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Andrew Parsaud
ANDREW PARSAUD

Andrew Parsaud is currently attending Penn State, where he is studying digital journalism and media. He is an avid follower of the major New York sports teams. 

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