Giants defense seals another dramatic win with walk-off pick six

For a second straight week, an interception sealed a dramatic victory for the Giants, who are now 3-1 after a wild 36-24 win over the Cardinals.

Arizona, trailing by six in the final seconds of the fourth quarter, was knocking on the door after a pass interference penalty set up first and goal, but after holding strong at the goal line for three straight plays, Deonte Banks stepped in front of a Jacoby Brissett pass and ran it back 98 yards for a walk-off pick six, moving the Giants to 3-1 on the season and into sole possession of first place in the NFC East.

The 3-1 record is the team's best start to a season since its last playoff berth in 2022.

The defense was the story on Sunday, holding strong down the stretch while the pass rush, so noticeably absent through the first three weeks of the season, was suddenly alive and well despite the loss of Brian Burns. Arvell Reese and Abdul Carter, the team's two top-10 investments in the past two NFL drafts, had their fingerprints all over the back-and-forth victory.

On the offensive side, the Giants got the full Jameis Winston experience, both good and bad. From maddening interceptions thrown over the heads of wide open receivers to improbable 40-yard strikes after escaping a collapsing pocket, Winston showed his best and worst in his second start of the season, while his defense did enough to ensure that the crippling turnovers did not cost them the game.

The Giants defense did not initially look destined a banner afternoon, as the unit had no answer for the Cardinals run game at the start, allowing touchdowns on consecutive drives to fall behind 14-3. New York's defense settled down thanks to Reese, who was a menace in the backfield and picked off a tipped pass by Brissett to set up a second straight Giants touchdown to put Big Blue in front, 19-14.

Winston had struggled for much of the season since taking over for the injured Jaxson Dart, but began to find his groove when he connected with Malachi Fields for the rookie's first career touchdown, then hit Malik Nabers for the score after Reese's interception in the waning minutes of the first half. The touchdown was the first for Nabers since tearing his ACL last year.

The Giants defense picked up two quick tackles for a loss to get the offense the ball back near midfield with just under a minute to go, but Winston's struggles returned with a costly interception while trying to find Fields. The Cardinals responded with a booming 60-yard field goal as time expired to trim Big Blue's lead to 19-17 at the break.

The story of the first half for the Giants was the play from Reese, who picked up where he left off in Week 3 by logging four tackles, one tackle for a loss, one interception, and three pass breakups. The team's top draft pick, after a quiet first two weeks to begin his NFL career, more than did his part to make up for the loss of Burns, the Giants' top pass rusher who was lost for the season with a torn ACL in Week 3.

Winston's erratic passing continued after the first interception. He was picked off by Budda Baker early in the third quarter on a bad misfire towards Isaiah Likely, who appeared to be open for an easy connection if the throw was on target. Instead, Arizona was set up in Giants territory, and Brissett found a wide open Elijah Higgins in the end zone to put the Cardinals ahead 24-19.

The full Winston experience continued late in the third quarter. After the two costly interceptions left fans wondering if J.J. McCarthy was in line to take over the starting job next week, Winston hit Fields for a deep 40-yard strike with the pocket collapsing, then fired a dime to Theo Johnson in the end zone after the Cardinals were flagged for holding on a field goal try. Instead of three points for the Giants, they got the touchdown and a two-point conversion to take a 27-24 lead with less than two minutes to go in the third.

Winston pulled off another circus play with a deep strike to Isaiah Likely while evading pressure early in the fourth quarter, but Najee Harris fumbled in Arizona territory for the Giants' third turnover of the game, and their seventh fumble of the season. New York's defense made sure the fumble wasn't too costly by continuing to dial up its newfound pass rush, forcing a quick three-and-out highlighted by a heavy QB hit from Carter, one of two straight hits on Brissett by Carter. Even with Burns out, the vaunted pass rush that many expected to be the Giants' undeniable strength had finally awakened.

Still, the Cardinals had a chance to win the game on their final possession, marching down the field and setting up shop at the 4-yard line after a pass interference call on Banks with 22 seconds to go, a penalty call that John Harbaugh mocked after the game.

"I thought you had to touch the guy for it to be pass interference," Harbaugh joked.

No matter. Banks picked off Brissett four plays later, took it to the house, and when his 98-yard scamper concluded, the Giants were standing alone in first place.