Kayvon Thibodeaux’s NFL debut was a little late thanks to a pre-season knee injury, and he was still waiting for his first NFL sack and a signature Giants moment when he took the field for what was the Ravens’ final offensive drive on Sunday.
And then, it was because of KT that the Ravens’ day ostensibly ended – for it was Thibodeaux whose strip sack of Lamar Jackson on what ended up as Baltimore’s final offensive play that finished off an epic comeback for Big Blue.
“Lamar was holding the ball a little bit so we had that idea that he was going to be able to pat the ball with the coverage, so just being able get off, use my second moves, and keep rushing. It was more of an effort sack less than a first move sack,” he said after the win. “I mean, you know, you've just got to get him. Lamar is tricky, shifty, so the one thing we teach is getting that rip at the end, making sure you finish, so that time I had emphasis on my finish and ‘one for the good guys.’”
The Giants were up 24-20 at that point, their first and only lead of the day, and so the pressure was on – but Thibodeaux, like the rest of the D, was up to the challenge.
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“I mean, for me it wasn't difficult once the offense went in and scored. We as a defense knew that we had to take it away, so we were able to come in and we knew the situation,” he said. “I think the greatest part about is the coaches, they really help us and for me being a rookie, they've been teaching me the situations and knowing that they were down, we knew that they had to go a long distance to score so we really had to get after them.”
“Wink has said for weeks that once we get a turnover, they're going to come in bunches. That stuff is contagious. I made a play on the previous drive, and you see our team just make a play immediately right after that,” safety Julian Love opined. “That's how football works; it's a game of momentum, it's a game of building off of each other, and this team has done such a great job of doing it across all sides of the ball capitalizing on each other. That's what that was; the epitome of what that was for us.”
“It’s a blessing, the greatest moment, I really sat out there and cried just because the emotion I felt that now, I'm in the NFL,” he said. “Now that you can really contribute and this is what they pay me to be here for, so the fact that I was able to get it done is a great feeling.”
Yes, he cried, saying “yeah, cool guys cry,” but the tears of joy were also because of him realizing how far he’s come and how much he’s overcome already, and finally contributing in the biggest of moments.
“Just fighting all year so far; I was getting closer and I just knew eventually it was going to come. I couldn't really pout about it, I couldn't worry, I couldn't listen to you guys, I just had to really lock in and get what I had to get done,” he said. “It's been six games and just keep trying to get better and keep growing and just keep doing the little things to make sure that when the time does come I can execute.”
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
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