Kayvon Thibodeaux, Giants seeking playoff Christmas present in Minnesota
Kayvon Thibodeaux got his first NFL touchdown in prime time, played his best in the Giants’ biggest game of the season and earned NFC defensive player of the week honors. The Giants can clinch their first postseason berth since 2016 on Saturday with a win over the Vikings and two combined losses from the Washington Commanders, Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions.
Kayvon Thibodeaux got his first NFL touchdown in prime time, played his best in the Giants’ biggest game of the season and earned NFC defensive player of the week honors.
But he still wants more, a lot more, starting Saturday afternoon when the Giants (8-5-1) visit the Vikings (11-3) with a chance 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 said 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 overall pick’s humility and hunger seem to reflect a rookie beyond his years mentally. He’s aware and talented enough to seize a major moment, but he’s grounded enough to commit to the grind and understand that the only thing that matters is what one does next.
The Giants can clinch their first postseason berth since 2016 on Saturday with a win over the Vikings (11-3) and two combined losses from the Washington Commanders (7-6-1), Seattle Seahawks (7-7) and Detroit Lions (7-7).
Players like Thibodeaux (Oregon) and left tackle Andrew Thomas (Georgia) played at big-time college programs, which put them on huge national stages annually. But Thomas, a third-year pro, said earning these opportunities in the pros is another level.
“In college, you kind of expect it to be there,” Thomas said Thursday, “whereas here in the NFL, you’ve got to work for every drop.”
Head coach Brian Daboll, similar to last week, is not focusing his team on any playoff scenarios or possibilities. Some of the Giants’ players genuinely had no idea how realistic clinching on Saturday was until they were told.
“I think we’re getting ready to try to win this game,” Daboll deadpanned. “That’s about it.”
The Giants need to stay humble. They have won only one of their last five games, and their offensive output has been discouragingly consistent: they’ve scored 18, 20, 20, 22 and 20 points in their last five games, respectively.
Thibodeaux’s explosive star turn at Washington, and the pass rush’s recent dominance, gives the low-scoring Giants a real chance to possibly hang with one of the NFC’s best teams, though.
His confidence is increasing at the most important time of year after receiving league-wide recognition for his 12-tackle performance at Washington, which included a late goal-line stop of a scramble by Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke.
“It definitely does give me a few stripes,” Thibodeaux said of his standout evening 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 correct. The pass rush’s surge has coincided with Azeez Ojulari’s return from injury three weeks ago.
The Giants defense has 12 sacks in the last three games after posting 20 in the season’s first 11 games. Ojulari has at least a half-sack in four of the five games he has played in this season, including 3.5 total in the last three.
It’s possible that surge also has happened because the Giants played their favorite division opponent, the Commanders, twice in this three-game stretch.
Minnesota will be different, even with an offensive line that has struggled, because of star wide receiver Justin Jefferson and running back Dalvin Cook.
The Vikings are coming off the largest comeback in NFL history, roaring back from a 33-0 halftime deficit to defeat the Indianapolis Colts last week in overtime, 39-36.
Daboll’s eyes grew wide Friday when asked about Cook’s dangerous skills as a receiver out of the backfield, in the screen game and on dump-offs.
“A checkdown can turn into a 50-yard gain,” Daboll said. “He’s got ‘take it to the house’ speed at that position.”
Wink Martindale and the defense respect Jefferson more than any other wideout in the game, especially with top corner Adoree Jackson (knee) still out.
“I told the defense: he’s one of the top two receivers in this league, and he’s not number two,” Martindale said.
Not to mention that the Vikings’ U.S. Bank Stadium is one of the loudest in the league.
It’s still conceivable the Giants could be celebrating a playoff berth in the visitors’ locker room Saturday, however, if they beat the Vikings and the Lions and Seahawks both lose in the 1 o’clock window.
It’s also possible the Giants will clinch while on their flight home, since the Commanders don’t play until the 4 o’clock window.
The Giants won’t clinch anything on Christmas Eve unless they beat the Vikings, though. So their focus remains on a victory to inch them closer toward the postseason tournament they’ve missed for so long.
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