Kayvon Thibodeaux obtained his first NFL landing in prime time, performed his finest within the Giants’ largest sport of the season and earned NFC defensive participant of the week honors.
But he nonetheless needs extra, much more, beginning Saturday afternoon when the Giants (8-5-1) go to the Vikings (11-3) with an opportunity to clinch a playoff berth on Christmas Eve.
“That was a building moment for me and I had a great game, but I feel like it’s not real until you do it again,” Thibodeaux stated at his locker this week. “We’re getting close to the end of the season, and I’ve just got to keep stacking them and carry this momentum into the playoffs.”
The No. 5 total choose’s humility and starvation appear to mirror a rookie past his years mentally. He’s conscious and gifted sufficient to grab a serious second, however he’s grounded sufficient to decide to the grind and perceive that the one factor that issues is what one does subsequent.
The Giants can clinch their first postseason berth since 2016 on Saturday with a win over the Vikings (11-3) and two mixed losses from the Washington Commanders (7-6-1), Seattle Seahawks (7-7) and Detroit Lions (7-7).
Players like Thibodeaux (Oregon) and left deal with Andrew Thomas (Georgia) performed at big-time school applications, which put them on enormous nationwide phases yearly. But Thomas, a third-year professional, stated incomes these alternatives within the execs is one other degree.
“In college, you kind of expect it to be there,” Thomas stated Thursday, “whereas here in the NFL, you’ve got to work for every drop.”
Head coach Brian Daboll, much like final week, shouldn’t be focusing his staff on any playoff eventualities or prospects. Some of the Giants’ gamers genuinely had no concept how life like clinching on Saturday was till they have been instructed.
“I think we’re getting ready to try to win this game,” Daboll deadpanned. “That’s about it.”
The Giants want to remain humble. They have gained solely considered one of their final 5 video games, and their offensive output has been discouragingly constant: they’ve scored 18, 20, 20, 22 and 20 factors of their final 5 video games, respectively.
Thibodeaux’s explosive star flip at Washington, and the move rush’s latest dominance, provides the low-scoring Giants an actual probability to presumably cling with one of many NFC’s finest groups, although.
His confidence is rising at a very powerful time of 12 months after receiving league-wide recognition for his 12-tackle efficiency at Washington, which included a late goal-line cease of a scramble by Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke.
“It definitely does give me a few stripes,” Thibodeaux stated of his standout night in Maryland. “I can look myself in the mirror and know that I came here to play, and I came here for a purpose … [But] I would say the only reason I was able to have a game like I had is because of the rest of the front. If you noticed, once we all came together and we all started playing great, then we started to see that production and we started making plays.”
Thibodeaux is appropriate. The move rush’s surge has coincided with Azeez Ojulari’s return from damage three weeks in the past.
The Giants protection has 12 sacks within the final three video games after posting 20 within the season’s first 11 video games. Ojulari has a minimum of a half-sack in 4 of the 5 video games he has performed on this season, together with 3.5 whole within the final three.
It’s doable that surge additionally has occurred as a result of the Giants performed their favourite division opponent, the Commanders, twice on this three-game stretch.
Minnesota might be completely different, even with an offensive line that has struggled, due to star vast receiver Justin Jefferson and working again Dalvin Cook.
The Vikings are coming off the biggest comeback in NFL historical past, roaring again from a 33-0 halftime deficit to defeat the Indianapolis Colts final week in extra time, 39-36.
Daboll’s eyes grew vast Friday when requested about Cook’s harmful expertise as a receiver out of the backfield, within the display sport and on dump-offs.
“A checkdown can turn into a 50-yard gain,” Daboll stated. “He’s got ‘take it to the house’ speed at that position.”
Wink Martindale and the protection respect Jefferson greater than every other wideout within the sport, particularly with prime nook Adoree Jackson (knee) nonetheless out.
“I told the defense: he’s one of the top two receivers in this league, and he’s not number two,” Martindale stated.
Not to say that the Vikings’ U.S. Bank Stadium is likely one of the loudest within the league.
It’s nonetheless conceivable the Giants could possibly be celebrating a playoff berth within the guests’ locker room Saturday, nevertheless, in the event that they beat the Vikings and the Lions and Seahawks each lose within the 1 o’clock window.
It’s additionally doable the Giants will clinch whereas on their flight house, because the Commanders don’t play till the 4 o’clock window.
The Giants gained’t clinch something on Christmas Eve until they beat the Vikings, although. So their focus stays on a victory to inch them nearer towards the postseason event they’ve missed for thus lengthy.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com