Giants Country

Should New York Giants HC Brian Daboll Bench Deonte Banks?

Banks has been inconsistent not just with his play but more alarmingly with his effort, and that's a growing concern that needs to be nipped in the bud.

Patricia Traina

Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks (3) reacts during the second half against the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium.
Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks (3) reacts during the second half against the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium. / John Jones-Imagn Images
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New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks has had a rough second season, some of which has resulted from circumstance and some of which has been of his own doing.

Banks, the Giants’ first-round draft pick last season, has been thrust into the CB1 role with mixed results. Per Pro Football Focus, he's allowed four touchdowns this season, matching his total from last season, to lead all Giants cornerbacks. 

While he also has a team-leading five pass breakups (Again, among the cornerbacks), his 131.5 coverage rating is the best among the position group (based on a minimum of 100 coverage snaps).

But an even more concerning issue that has developed with Banks has been his incomplete effort on select plays where Banks tails off before the whistle.

That first came to light against the Dallas Cowboys when Giants passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson publicly shared his unhappiness with the second-year player’s “effort” on a 55-yard touchdown pass allowed to receiver CeeDee Lamb. 

Banks would respond with his best game of the year the following week against the Seattle Seahawks and receive rD.K. Metcalf, but this past week, there were at least two plays in which Banks’s effort came under question.

On the Hurts play, Banks told reporters after the game that he had doubts about whether he could make it at the time the play was unfolding.

“I think I could have made it, but sometimes when you’re in that moment, you just think like, ‘Nah,'” Banks said. “But I think I could’ve made a tackle.”

Henderson, who could be seen flying into the frame as Banks slowed down his pursuit, made it clear to the cornerback that it was a play that he should have made.

This repeat of a lack of effort has now raised a danger within head coach Brian Daboll’s locker room that he needs to address swiftly with decisive action lest other players take note of Banks’s occasional lackadaisical approach and start mimicking it. 

The lack of effort is the last thing Daboll needs in a locker room that right now can’t seem to get anything positive rolling in a season that’s fast slipping away.

“Obviously, we want maximum effort on every play,” Daboll said, trying to say as little about the incident as possible. “So, again, we've addressed that. We'll continue to address it and make sure it's better.”

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There’s only one way to drive home the message, and that’s through the tough love action of benching Banks, be it for a quarter, a half, or even a game.

That might sound like an extreme action, but with that lack of hustle right there on film for the entire team to see, the last thing Daboll can afford is for other players to think that if Banks can get away with not giving a full effort, they can as well.

Daboll predictably didn’t provide details about how the matter would be addressed, only saying that it would be handled privately. 

With all due respect to Daboll, the way to handle it given that it’s now a recurring issue, is to send a message not only to Banks but to the entire team, and that’s by taking away the one thing players value just as much as they do their weekly paycheck: game snaps. 

No player who calls themselves a competitor likes to be benched, even if it’s for a series. But sometimes, taking away that opportunity, even if it’s just for part of a game, is enough to drive home the point that a lack of effort on select plays will not be tolerated.

Yes, Daboll has a lot to worry about, given the team's current state, but this is one issue that a little tough love should theoretically fix.  

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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