Heavily tested, Banks gets a passing grade
After pulling off one of the plays of the game and helping the Giants survive Monday night, Deonte Banks arrived in a victorious locker room and looked for his defensive coordinator.
Banks wanted to celebrate with Wink Martindale, but it was not his makeup speed or his perfectly executed pass breakup in the end zone that he wanted to salute. In the two weeks entering the game, Martindale had consistently challenged the rookie cornerback to be aggressive and to put on film that he could make tackles.
“I yelled it when [Martindale] was walking in,” Banks said after practice Thursday. “I had 12 of them things!”
The 12 tackles (nine solo) were a career-high for Banks, who is developing his all-around game nicely. The first-rounder has been playing up to his pedigree and has emerged as a consistent starter as a rookie, whose best moment might have come in the closing minutes against the Packers.
With the Giants up by seven with a bit over five minutes remaining, Banks slid behind Green Bay’s Samori Toure, worried about tripping over the Packers receiver’s feet. Toure gained a half step as he approached the end zone, and Jordan Love’s pass appeared to be a game-tying, 30-yard touchdown.
But Banks’ speed kicked in and, “I just played the ball,” he said, erasing the gap and lifting his left arm, which batted the ball away. The Packers kicked a field goal, and the Giants would eventually escape.
“I thought it was awesome,” Martindale said of the play. “He is just growing and growing and growing every week as a corner, and starting to see things faster than what he has seen before. You’re starting to see that in his play.”
Banks has passed the eye test, and the advanced metrics are beginning to look kinder for him. Banks’ negative-6.6 receptions over expected allowed — meaning the number of receptions he has given up compared with how many receptions were expected by Next Gen Stats — is the fourth-lowest by a rookie cornerback through Week 14 since 2018.
He allowed just 40 receiving yards on 10 targets Monday. While typically guarding the other team’s best receiver, Banks has held opposing quarterbacks to a 78.3 QB rating when targeting him.
Tackling is not the most critical skill necessary for a cornerback, but Banks was able to get Packers receivers to the ground quickly. For the season, receivers are gaining just 6.3 yards per target against the 22-year-old out of Maryland.
“I said [to Banks], ‘You’re going to keep getting tested out there until you start tackling people,’ ” Martindale said. “So, I thought he stepped up and played really well.”
He did not play perfectly and was beaten later by Malik Heath for a touchdown, which forced Tommy DeVito to engineer a game-winning drive. But in coverage and in aggression, Banks is growing.
The next test will come Sunday, when it is possible Banks lines up against Chris Olave. The Saints’ star did not practice for a second straight day Thursday with an ankle injury, so his status is uncertain — but not to Banks, who is presuming his former Ohio State opponent will be playing.
Banks does not view this possibly juicy matchup as a barometer. Sure, Olave is a standout with great speed, but he’s just another No. 1 for Banks, who wants the other team’s best receiver and believes he’s making a reputation as a shutdown corner.
“I wouldn’t want to say [Olave would be] a test to me because I’ve been doing this every week,” Banks said. “It’s just something I do now.”