How Deonte Banks reflects John Harbaugh's confidence and belief in Giants

EAST RUTHERFORD - Deonte Banks leaned against the wall in the far corner of the victorious New York Giants locker room, his clothes still tossed around the stall as if he had zero plans of leaving any time soon.

He kept staring at his cell phone between his answers to reporters, watching the same play over and over and over again. It was as if Banks thought there might be a different outcome the next time he found that video, so he had to let the highlight roll just to prove nothing was going to change the ending no matter how many times he ran it back.

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When you call 'Game' the way Banks did for the Giants on Sunday, no one can blame him for indulging in the fun.

Banks undercut a fourth-down throw from Jacoby Brissett at the goal line, stepping in front of Michael Wilson for an interception he brought back 98 yards in seven exhilarating seconds for a game-winning touchdown as the Giants closed out the Arizona Cardinals for a 30-24 victory, their second straight in thrilling fashion.

For the second week in a row, the Giants had their backs to the goal line, in the shadow of their own end zone, and were a touchdown by their opponent away from losing. The defense did not flinch either time.

Last week, Jevon Holland picked off Titans quarterback Cam Ward and took a knee to put the game away.

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This time, it was Banks' chance to deliver and he did, setting off a wild celebration at MetLife Stadium with a walk-off Pick 6 that serves as the ultimate reflection of resolve and belief John Harbaugh has brought to this franchise.

"You've got to keep believing and keep doing," Harbaugh said. "Keep believing, keep doing, keep believing, keep doing, and that's what they did. That's really what life is, and football is a metaphor for life. That's the way a football game goes, and sometimes it doesn't go your way. But the last two times it did go our way, and they were rewarded for that."

The Giants (3-1) sit atop the NFC East standings, alone in first place after the Philadelphia Eagles coughed up a 10-point fourth quarter lead and lost to the Los Angeles Rams at home. They have won their first three games at home since 2009, and on a day when the Giants celebrated the 40th anniversary of their Super Bowl XXI championship season, this team played with pride, poise and purpose - Harbaugh's Giants have something to prove.

"I think this shows what we're made out of," outside linebacker Abdul Carter said. "In those critical situations, that's when you have to be at your best. And the last two weeks, we've been at our best in those situations. That's really good football, and it's really hard - it's really hard to win in this league. It just reminds me of last year so much, because in these situations we didn't get it done. Obviously, this year it's been a change, and I credit the coaches, I credit the players, I credit everybody in the building - it takes everybody."

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And when a player like the 25-year-old Banks turns in the hero moment, everybody gets to celebrate. Harbaugh has instilled belief in this team to find a way, even when everything is seemingly going against them.

Season-ending knee surgeries for Jaxson Dart and Brian Burns, the heart of the offense and the soul of the defense.

"We stand up to the moment," cornerback Dru Phillips told NorthJersey.com and The Record. "No one on this team is scared of that moment. We're not shying away. We've been through it before. So it's like, 'Don't be scared. Make a play.'"

Four plays earlier, Banks was flagged for a phantom pass interference penalty. The Giants were beside themselves, but instead of hanging their heads, they stood up and stood tall. And Banks never lost sight of the task at hand, no matter the emotional punches they have taken the past two weeks.

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Added co-captain and inside linebacker Tremaine Edmunds: "We know how important those guys [Dart and Burns] are, but that's just it: the league doesn't care about us, they move on. Every week, it's a new game, and we all have to do our 1/11th to give ourselves a shot."

Which brings us back to Deonte Banks. Somewhere between inconsistency and fleeting confidence, the Giants' 2023 first-round pick lost his way.

Maybe it was attitude, a lack of conviction in his technique or a coaching failure within a defensive system that did not fit his talents as someone who lived and died in press man coverage.

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All of that contributed to where Banks was entering this season, essentially in NFL limbo after the Giants brought in Harbaugh and cleared the decks of both the roster in its entirety and the depth chart, especially in the secondary.

No one could be certain if what we were watching from Banks was just the final days of another failed first-round pick, a countdown to the end of his time here, or the start of a reclamation project that somehow would change the trajectory - more fitting the spiral - of his career. The Giants gave him a chance to shed the bust label he was stuck with because of the way he had played for the better part of the last two years.

The evaluation of Banks as an asset or an afterthought played out in real time for this coaching staff, and how he fit in a secondary of opportunity. Banks has a compact frame (now listed at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds) with above-average length, and his short-area quickness was elite. He was physical and instinctive as a rookie, too, and the raw talent - size, speed and ability to change directions - was noticeable.

Where did that player go? It's hard to say whether that player even existed anymore fell on the Giants as Harbaugh, defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, and position coaches Donald D'Alesio and Addison Lynch to find out.

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Banks was ultimately benched in Years 2 and 3, dogged by criticism of his work ethic and an apparent refusal to engage in the run game, leading to glaring mistakes when breaking down the tape. The Giants declined his fifth-year option - there really was no other choice - so Banks' rookie contract will expire at the end of the 2026 campaign.

All of that context served as the backdrop to a real comeback story written by Banks, and the final 11 seconds against the Cardinals on Sunday validated the work he put in to earn the right to show off for every one of those 98 yards.

"These coaches," Banks said. "I always thought I had [the talent]. I always knew I had it. My teammates make me the best I can be. They believe in me. They always tell me, 'Keep going,' and they know what I'm capable of, makes me believe it what I'm capable of."

"I guess it just shows you it was in there the whole time," Harbaugh added. "It was in there the whole time and he found it."

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Harbaugh and his coaches have brought out the best in Deonte Banks, and the Giants are proving no challenge is too daunting if teams actually believe the plays that so often decide games in this league are going to be made by them.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: How Deonte Banks reflects John Harbaugh's confidence and belief in Giants