Commanders WR Terry McLaurin Offers Frank Observation About Giants CB Deonte Banks

McLaurin noticed something during his film study on Banks that he was able to exploit in their 27-22 win over the Giants.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) catches a pass for a touchdown while being guarded by New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks (3) during a game between the New York Giants and the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. / Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Washington receiver Terry McLaurin, who had two touchdowns in the team’s 27-22 win over the New York Giants this past weekend, offered a rather telling observation about New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks, who, per Pro Football Focus, allowed the receiver to catch two out of three pass targets for 19 yards, the two receptions going for touchdowns.

Through his film study of Banks, McLaurin opined that the second-year cornerback is “not really aggressive in the red zone,” a rather concerning statement considering Banks has now allowed six touchdowns in nine games played, four of those coming in man coverage, which leads all cornerbacks in the league.

McLaurin was describing his first touchdown reception in great detail as to how things unfolded, sharing that his film study of Banks’s tendencies provided clues on how to win a potential matchup.

“I knew Banks likes to really slow play routes in the red zone. He likes to kind of, no pun intended, bank inside, meaning he takes inside leverage. I knew he was playing a little head up on that route and so I watched the Cleveland game when (wide receiver) Amari Cooper kind of rocked him a little bit. That was more of a true slant and mine was kind of more of a one-step slant, but the same principles apply.” McLaurin said.

“He’s not really aggressive in the red zone for whatever reason and so I knew if I came off a little urgently, he would probably try to get hands on quickly and that could make a really bang, bang play. 

“So I came off really slow–I was telling Jay (quarterback Jayden Daniels), ‘I’m going to slow play it whether it was a fade or a slam, I’m going to slow play him and just have him kind of relax on the snap.’ Then the suddenness of the outside stick to win inside, and like I said, he threw the ball low and away and only I had a chance to get it.”

Banks has had a rough second season for the Giants. His effort has been questioned, to the point that he was benched for an entire half in the team’s Monday night loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Giants passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson spoke candidly about Banks's season and why he is taking the inconsistent success so personally.

“The thing is he’s played well in spurts, but what he has to understand and what I know is there’s 64 plays in a game,” Henderson said last Friday. 

“Let’s say there are 58 of them where you do a great job nobody notices, but there’s those other six or seven where now that’s all you’re judged on, those plays when the ball is at me, and I have an opportunity to make a play. Want to see him in those moments, be brighter, be bigger. That’s why we drafted him.

“That’s what I know he has in him, and I want him to do it consistently and at a high level all the time, and he has it in him to do it, and it’s my job to get it out of him.”

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