The Giants continue their strong start to the season, beating the Cardinals 36-24. This win improves the Giants’ record to 3-1 and gives them sole possession of first place in the NFC East. While it is still early, it is the first time the Giants have had sole possession of the division lead since November 2015. When most of the key contributors on this team were still in middle school or just starting high school. Safe to say that it’s been a long time since there has been this much hope surrounding Giants football
It was yet another game where you can see the change John Harbaugh has brought to this organization. At the end of the first quarter, the Cardinals had jumped out to a 14-3 lead. They could not stop the Cardinals’ offense. But the coaching staff made the necessary adjustments and took a 19-17 lead into the half. Then, in the final minute of regulation, they made a big goal-line stand that ended with Deonte Banks’ 96-yard pick-six, sealing the Giants’ victory. Marking back-to-back weeks, the defense stepped up when it mattered most.
In years past, both of these factors would have caused the Giants to lose. They never would have dug themselves out of an 11-point deficit with Brian Daboll at head coach. Nor could they have stopped the Cardinals on the final drive. These are just some of the benefits of having an experienced head coach on the sidelines. Here are the other major takeaways.
The Giants’ Young Defensive Stars Showed Up
One position the Giants have focused on in recent drafts is the front seven. They drafted Abdul Carter with the 3rd overall pick in 2025, and Arvell Reese with the 5th overall pick this past draft. On Sunday, these two showed why they were taken with such high picks. Reese led the way, racking up nine tackles, one for a loss, three pass deflections, and an interception. Carter only had three tackles, but three quarterback hits, and generated a ton of pressure. He was in Jacoby Brissett face on almost every play during the last drive.
With Brian Burns out of the season, this is what they need from their young defensive players. They need to step up and make the same type of impact as Burns. This will help the Giants not only this season, but for the foreseeable future. One of the foundational pieces of the Giants’ success is a pair of elite defenders. Whether it was Lawrence Taylor and Carl Banks or Michael Strahan and Justin Tuck, guys who can disrupt the play early have been a big part of the Giants’ success. These could be the next generation of that legacy.
Deonte Banks Finally Has a Bounce Back
Carter and Reese weren’t the only former first-round picks who made an impact on defense. Banks had the biggest play of the day with his 96-yard pick-six that clinched the win for the Giants. While that was his highlight play, it wasn’t the only impact he made. He recorded four tackles, one solo, and four pass deflections. This performance earned him a 91 coverage grade on Pro Football Focus. This was the second-highest grade of the day.
Banks is finally building on the strong start he had in his rookie season. While he wasn’t great, he showed real promise in his rookie year. But he never took that next step. He never became the cornerback one we all thought he could be. But this year has been different. He has done a much better job at covering receivers and prevented the long gains that hurt him in the past. With the Giants lacking a true cornerback one, they needed someone on the roster to fill that role. So far, Banks seems to be the one who can do it.
Malik Nabers Looked More Comfortable
One of the main storylines going into this season was how Malik Nabers would play. Coming off a torn ACL, there was no guarantee that he could return to the dominant receiver he was during his rookie season. So far this season, it has been a bit of a mixed bag. He looked good against the Cowboys, but struggled in the Rams and Titans games. He’s also been very vocal about how he’s still adjusting and a bit nervous coming off the injury. It seemed like this season would be more about him readjusting to the NFL.
However, he had a nice bounce-back performance against the Cardinals. He caught six passes for 112 yards and a touchdown. These were not just short gains. He had several deep plays, including a 39-yard gain where he had to make a jumping catch. This is exactly the type of performance that Nabers needed. One where he makes a ton of big plays downfield and really tests his knee. It should help ease his re-injury concerns and help him return to that top-five receiver level.
