Maybe, after a preseason of optimism that revived a trajectory, it’ll be a different ending for Deonte Banks after all. Maybe, after a similar preseason of optimism that revived a similar trajectory, it’ll be different for these Giants under John Harbaugh after all, too.
Because imagine this scene playing out last year. Imagine Banks — the former first-round pick labeled a bust by just about everyone — stepping in front of a Jacoby Brissett pass to seal the Giants’ 36-24 win over the Cardinals on Sunday and running it back 98 yards, arms spread out as the MetLife Stadium crowd erupted. Imagine Banks, back in a starting role, committing a devastating pass interference penalty on Arizona’s final drive and the Giants not cratering. They’ve now secured consecutive wins with interceptions inside their own 5-yard line.
Imagine the Giants, after the first four weeks of their season, standing alone atop the NFC East with a 3-1 record and a perfect 3-0 mark at home. Imagine the boos in the first half Sunday turning into the roar that followed Banks into the end zone. Imagine the inevitable wonders about J.J. McCarthy, acquired last week from Minnesota to add to the Big Blue quarterback room, fading for one week.
Because, at the end of it all, the Giants have won three of their first four games. And teams that’ve done that since the postseason field expanded in 2020 have made the playoffs 75 percent of the time. The Giants, in a year where injuries certainly haven’t been on their side, at least have the numbers working for them.
