In a 28-3 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles this past Sunday, New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks was caught lacking on several plays.
Most notably, Banks pulled up short on a long Jalen Hurts scramble, much to the dismay of defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson, who immediately got into his face before the play was even over.
Impressive play from Jalen Hurts to avoid the sack 👏
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— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 20, 2024
“I really just thought he was gonna slide or whatever, but it was a bad play by me, bad effort play by me. I think I could have made it,” Banks said, via the New York Daily News. “I play this game because I love this (expletive). Sometimes you get frustrated out there when (expletive) not going your way. That’s me just letting the emotions get the best of me.”
Head coach Brian Daboll skirted questions about Banks, who displayed a similar lack of effort in Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys, but said the situation had been addressed.
Defensive captain Dexter Lawrence was a bit more vocal when asked about Banks following practice on Thursday, saying the second-year corner’s lack of effort was “not acceptable.”
“It’s not acceptable. He knows it. We addressed it and that’s the type of thing that we don’t accept it as a defense,” Lawrence told reporters. “When you see it, you address it. I think that’s the first time something like that happened. So, we addressed it and now everybody knows that’s not acceptable.”
Lawrence vows that a similar situation will not play out again this season, whether it’s Banks or anyone else on defense.
“I think the best way (to address it) is to do it with your whole unit. That’s how we address it,” he said. “It’s addressed and it’s been addressed. We won’t see anything like that, again.”
Contrary to what Lawrence said, Banks has been a repeat offender this year. However, with the towering nose tackle having made his demands clear, perhaps the young cornerback will start giving 100 percent effort on every play instead of taking some off.
