The accolades keep coming for the 3-1 Giants.
Following his 98-yard interception return for a touchdown that sealed a 36-24 victory over the Cardinals, cornerback Deonte Banks was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week.
The Giants had several worthy candidates from the victory that vaulted them to the top of the NFC East standings through four games. Linebacker Arvell Reese recorded nine solo tackles (he now leads the league with 26 on the season) and three passes defensed, including his first career interception. As a result, the No. 5 overall pick was nominated for Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week.
A week ago, safety Jevón Holland was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for September.
This is Banks' first time winning one of the league's weekly awards. The fourth-year pro and former first-round draft choice is the first Giant to be named NFC Defensive Player of the Week since linebacker Bobby Okereke for the 2025 season finale. Before him, the most recent Giant had been outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux in Week 15 of 2022.
Photos from the Week 4 matchup between the Giants and Cardinals.
WR Malik Nabers (1)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
WR Malachi Fields (88)
WR Malachi Fields (88)
Head Coach John Harbaugh
WR Malik Nabers (1), RB Cam Skattebo (44)
CB Greg Newsome II (20)
WR Malachi Fields (88)
CB Greg Newsome II (20), S Tyler Nubin (27)
CB Greg Newsome II (20)
CB Greg Newsome II (20)
QB Jameis Winston (19)
WR Malachi Fields (88)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
S Jevón Holland (8), CB Greg Newsome II (20)
WR Charlie Jones (89)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
Head Coach John Harbaugh
WR Malik Nabers (1)
OLB Zaire Barnes (46)
CB Greg Newsome II (20)
S Tyler Nubin (27)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
WR Malachi Fields (88)
P Jordan Stout (15), K Dominic Zvada (34), C Bryan Hudson (60)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
QB Jameis Winston (19)
K Dominic Zvada (34), P Jordan Stout (15)
OLB Zaire Barnes (46)
RB Najee Harris (23)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
P Jordan Stout (15)
K Dominic Zvada (34), P Jordan Stout (15)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
CB Deonte Banks (2), LB Tremaine Edmunds (49)
K Dominic Zvada (34), P Jordan Stout (15)
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5)
WR Charlie Jones (89)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
QB Jameis Winston (19)
K Dominic Zvada (34), P Jordan Stout (15)
RB Cam Skattebo (44)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
K Dominic Zvada (34)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
S Jevón Holland (8)
S Jevón Holland (8)
QB Jameis Winston (19)
WR Malachi Fields (88)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
LB Arvell Reese (52), LB Tremaine Edmunds (49), DT Darius Alexander (91)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
QB Jameis Winston (19)
LB Arvell Reese (52)
TE Theo Johnson (84)
CB Greg Newsome II (20), LB Arvell Reese (52)
K Dominic Zvada (34)
S Jevón Holland (8), CB Greg Newsome II (20)
CB Deonte Banks (2)
LS Ben Mann (58)
CB Greg Newsome II (20), S Tyler Nubin (27)
S Tyler Nubin (27)
OLB Zaire Barnes (46)
CB Dru Phillips (22)
LB Jack Kelly (51)
RB Cam Skattebo (44)
CB Nic Jones (31), LB Jack Kelly (51)
CB Greg Newsome II (20)
LB Arvell Reese (52), DT Darius Alexander (91)
RB Najee Harris (23)
LB Arvell Reese (52)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
RB Najee Harris (23)
WR Malachi Fields (88), WR Darnell Mooney (17)
QB Jameis Winston (19)
RB Najee Harris (23)
QB Jameis Winston (19)
CB Greg Newsome II (20)
CB Greg Newsome II (20)
DL Shelby Harris (93)
WR Malachi Fields (88), C Bryan Hudson (60)
OLB Zaire Barnes (46)
CB Deonte Banks (2)
RB Najee Harris (23)
P Jordan Stout (15), K Dominic Zvada (34)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
RB Najee Harris (23)
G Aaron Stinnie (64), K Dominic Zvada (34)
LB Arvell Reese (52), DL Chauncey Golston (57)
CB Greg Newsome II (20)
WR Malachi Fields (88)
QB Jameis Winston (19)
S Jevón Holland (8), CB Greg Newsome II (20)
CB Greg Newsome II (20)
DL Chauncey Golston (57), DL DJ Reader (98)
LB Tremaine Edmunds (49), S Jevón Holland (8), CB Greg Newsome II (20)
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5)
P Jordan Stout (15), K Dominic Zvada (34)
LB Arvell Reese (52)
LB Arvell Reese (52)
DL Chauncey Golston (57), DL DJ Reader (98)
CB Dru Phillips (22), CB Greg Newsome II (20), LB Tremaine Edmunds (49)
WR Malachi Fields (88)
WR Malachi Fields (88)
WR Malachi Fields (88)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
LB Arvell Reese (52)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
CB Greg Newsome II (20)
LB Tremaine Edmunds (49), LB Arvell Reese (52)
WR Malachi Fields (88)
WR Malachi Fields (88) , C Bryan Hudson (60)
C Bryan Hudson (60), QB Jameis Winston (19), TE Isaiah Likely (9), T Andrew Thomas (78), G Jon Runyan Jr. (76)
DL Chauncey Golston (57)
CB Greg Newsome II (20)
CB Greg Newsome II (20)
QB Jameis Winston (19)
RB Cam Skattebo (44)
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5), LB Arvell Reese (52)
TE Theo Johnson (84), WR Malachi Fields (88)
DT Darius Alexander (91)
TE Isaiah Likely (9)
CB Greg Newsome II (20)
CB Greg Newsome II (20)
OLB Abdul Carter (3)
TE Theo Johnson (84), RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
QB Jameis Winston (19)
DT Darius Alexander (91)
DT Darius Alexander (91)
TE Isaiah Likely (9)
QB Jameis Winston (19)
TE Isaiah Likely (9)
Head Coach John Harbaugh
RB Najee Harris (23)
K Dominic Zvada (34), P Jordan Stout (15), T Jermaine Eluemunor (72), OL Francis "SiSi" Mauigoa (65), G Jon Runyan Jr. (76)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
LB Jack Kelly (51)
CB Greg Newsome II (20)
TE Isaiah Likely (9)
CB Deonte Banks (2)
C Bryan Hudson (60)
TE Isaiah Likely (9)
TE Isaiah Likely (9)
WR Malachi Fields (88)
WR Malachi Fields (88)
QB Jameis Winston (19)
TE Theo Johnson (84), WR Malachi Fields (88), WR Malik Nabers (1)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
TE Theo Johnson (84)
TE Theo Johnson (84)
WR Malachi Fields (88)
TE Theo Johnson (84)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
TE Theo Johnson (84)
TE Theo Johnson (84)
CB Greg Newsome II (20)
CB Nic Jones (31), RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29), LB Jack Kelly (51)
P Jordan Stout (15)
CB Deonte Banks (2)
P Jordan Stout (15)
DL DJ Reader (98), DL Shelby Harris (93), LB Tremaine Edmunds (49)
S Jevón Holland (8), CB Dru Phillips (22)
CB Deonte Banks (2)
RB Cam Skattebo (44), WR Darnell Mooney (17)
CB Greg Newsome II (20)
CB Greg Newsome II (20), OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5)
K Dominic Zvada (34), P Jordan Stout (15)
LB Trace Ford (48), TE Theo Johnson (84)
K Dominic Zvada (34), OL Marcus Mbow (71), LS Ben Mann (58)
K Dominic Zvada (34), T Jermaine Eluemunor (72), OL Francis "SiSi" Mauigoa (65)
K Dominic Zvada (34), P Jordan Stout (15), DB Elijah Campbell (28), G Jon Runyan Jr. (76), C John Michael Schmitz Jr. (61)
CB Deonte Banks (2)
CB Deonte Banks (2)
CB Deonte Banks (2)
CB Deonte Banks (2)
CB Greg Newsome II (20)
Banks' 98-yard interception return is the league's second-longest touchdown with no time left on the clock since the 1970 merger, according to Stats Perform. Safety Brock Marion had a 100-yard interception return to end a game on Jan. 6, 2002, but his Dolphins were already leading the Bills by 20 points.
Banks' walk-off capped a career day that included four passes defensed, the most among all players in Week 4 and tied for the most in a single game this season.
Banks, who missed the previous two weeks with a calf injury, is the first player to produce at least four passes defensed and an interception return for a touchdown in a game since Broncos cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian in 2024.
It added another chapter to Banks' story, which started with a promising rookie season in 2023. The No. 25 overall draft choice was making his biggest impact as a kick returner by the end of last season and had a 95-yard touchdown in the second-to-last game.
But Banks got a clean slate with the incoming coaching staff. He made the most of it and was back to starting at corner in the season opener.
"We just taught the defense really and talked to him about playing technique the right way, and he was just really amenable to it," coach John Harbaugh said. "We didn't really have any kind of an in-depth conversation about the past. You know, that really wasn't part of it. Just said, 'Hey, man, we know what you're capable of, let's go play some good football.' And maybe that was just all it took, maybe that's all that was really needed. I do think he felt the confidence. I think he felt happy about the opportunity, maybe. Maybe he was freed up a little bit from the past, whatever happened. I mean, he had a great year his first year. So, maybe he leaned into that a little bit more. I'm not really sure, but it just wasn't something we thought too much about. We just made it about the football, probably, more than anything."
