Deonte Banks' 98-Yard Pick-Six Seals Giants' 36-24 Win Over Cardinals
Deonte Banks returned an interception 98 yards on the final play as the Giants beat Arizona 36-24 and took sole possession of first place in the NFC East.
Deonte Banks' 98-yard pick-six ended the game and gave the New York Giants a win that put them in sole possession of first place in the NFC East. A headline from OutKick said the result put the team somewhere it hasn't been since 2015.
How the game ended
Arizona had the ball on fourth-and-goal at the Giants' four-yard line on what would be the last play. A touchdown and extra point would have won it for the Cardinals. Jacoby Brissett's pass was intercepted by Banks, who ran it back for the score.
Banks had earlier been flagged for pass interference a few plays before. Coach John Harbaugh called that penalty "crazy" and said he thought a defender had to touch the receiver for the call. The late interception made up for it.
It was the second game in a row the Giants intercepted a pass after an opponent reached the red zone. Brissett threw three interceptions in all, and he said afterward the team "got in our own way."
Winston and the offense
Winston was making his second start in place of the injured Jaxson Dart. He finished 18 of 29 for 250 yards, with touchdown passes to Malachi Fields, Malik Nabers and Theo Johnson.
His 12-yard throw to Fields in the second quarter was the Giants' first touchdown since the season opener. It ended a drought of more than nine quarters.
Nabers had six catches for 112 yards. That more than doubled his receiving total for the season, which stood at 96 yards through his first three games back from a serious knee injury. Kicker Dominic Zvada is now 9 of 9 on field goals.
Rookie linebacker Arvell Reese made his first NFL interception and had nine tackles. Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor was at the game for a halftime celebration of the 1986 Super Bowl team.
The underdog tag
The Giants were 2.5-point underdogs at home, according to DraftKings, and running back Cam Skattebo took offense. "It's dumb to be underdogs at home," he said, pointing to Arizona's long flight and time change.
ESPN noted that the Cardinals (1-3) had been underdogs in their previous 15 games. The Giants are also without Dart and linebacker Brian Burns, who are both out for the season with knee injuries.
Injuries
Arizona lost safety Andrew Wingard to a knee injury, and he was carted off. Right guard Isaiah Adams (ankle) and tight end Hunter Long (knee) also left. For the Giants, Braxton Berrios (foot), Chauncey Golston (neck) and Jason Pinnock (concussion) left the game.
Quarterback J.J. McCarthy was in uniform six days after the Giants acquired him from Minnesota. Harbaugh said he was not close to entering the game.
Also read Kangaroos Name 23-Man World Cup Squad With Six Debutants, Including Sam Walker
What happens next
The Giants will try to hold first place in the NFC East. The sources don't say who they play next, so check the NFL schedule. Injury updates on Berrios, Golston and Pinnock are worth watching this week. Arizona has lost three straight and will wait on the status of its injured players.
Keep it in Saved stories on this device to read later.
