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Relentless Kayvon Thibodeaux breaks out to power Giants

LANDOVER, Md. — There is a new silliest NFL draft criticism of all-time: Kayvon Thibodeaux isn’t a max-effort player. 

Anyone who watched Thibodeaux play Sunday night had to wonder how that could be said when it seemed there were three Thibodeauxes on the field at the same time for the Giants because it was impossible for anyone to be in so many places at once to finish with 12 tackles. 

Thibodeaux had two tackles for loss in the first quarter — and an Army crawl and a childlike posed smile as his first two celebrations — but he was just getting started in a 20-12 victory over the Commanders. He changed the game with a second-quarter strip-sack fumble that he returned for a go-ahead touchdown and helped close it with a tackle that prevented a potential game-tying touchdown. 

“This was his breakout game,” teammate Jihad Ward said. 

Yes, it was. Thibodeaux joked earlier in the week that “prime time likes me.” Thibodeaux sent a message to all his NFL peers watching the “Sunday Night Football” stand-alone window and to the four teams that passed on him in the draft. 

Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) celebrates with teammates after his strip-sack and touchdown.
Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) celebrates with teammates after his strip-sack and touchdown.
USA TODAY Sports

“I ain’t lie to you all,” Thibodeaux said. 

Thibodeaux had to be helped off the field after getting poked in the eye on the final defensive play but said even that couldn’t stop his motor. 

“It’s got a little wink to it,” Thibodeaux said, “but I can still see.” 

Thibodeaux’s moment started when he called the team together on the field in the pregame. It’s a job that usually falls to injured safety Xavier McKinney. 

“That’s big,” running back Saquon Barkley said. “It shows his leadership qualities. I think that’s just a start — he showed what he’s capable of doing.” 

Two weeks ago, an unblocked Thibodeaux drilled Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke near the shadow of his own goal line late in overtime and was stunned when the sack didn’t also produce a fumble. He wasn’t reaching for a strip because he assumed the force of the collision would cause it. 

Well, he must have learned a new trick in the last 14 days that he pulled out on a second-and-18 at the 10-yard line. 

Thibodeaux didn’t get a free release this time, but he had no trouble pushing back left tackle Charles Leno Jr. and then going around him to sack Heinicke just as the quarterback raised his arm to throw to the other side of the field from the 2. The ball came out, rolled to the edge of the goal line and Thibodeaux quickly hopped to his feet to scoop and score. Had he not, cornerback Nick McCloud also was in position for a short fumble-return touchdown. 

Kayvon Thibodeaux tackles Taylor Heinicke during the Giants' game-sealing stop.
Kayvon Thibodeaux tackles Taylor Heinicke during the Giants’ game-sealing stop.
USA TODAY Sports

As teammates swarmed and a Washington player gave him a gratuitous shove, Thibodeaux turned his tumble into a touchdown celebration. It was a needed boost for the scoring-challenged Giants, who had totaled 27 yards on their two offensive possessions up until that point. 

“That [tackle for loss], sack, fumble recovery, touchdown, that’s more than a hat trick,” defensive tackle Leonard Williams said. “That’s definitely one of the best plays in football.” 

Thibodeaux and Heinicke collided again at the 1-yard line when Heinicke was scrambling toward the pylon with 68 seconds remaining. 

“When I saw him, I was like, ‘S–t, he’s still got the ball,’ ” Thibodeaux said. “I was in coverage so you have to look back. It was like, ‘Ha ha ha!’ Strap up! I told [coach Brian Daboll], ‘Put me in on fourth-and-1. Me against anybody, I’m coming out victorious.’ Once again, that’s me not being a liar.”

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