Deonte Banks intercepted Jacoby Brissett in the end zone and returned the ball 98 yards for a touchdown on the game's final play, sealing a 36-24 New York Giants victory over the Arizona Cardinals at MetLife Stadium and lifting the team into sole possession of first place in the NFC East.
The Giants improved to 3-1 and moved ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles, who fell to 2-2 after a late collapse against the Los Angeles Rams. The Dallas Cowboys also sit at 2-2 after defeating the Houston Texans, while the Washington Commanders dropped to 1-3 following a loss to the Indianapolis Colts. It is the first time since November 2015 that the Giants have held sole possession of the division lead.
The final sequence came after the Giants' defense stopped the Cardinals three consecutive times near the goal line. On fourth-and-goal from the New York four-yard line, Brissett targeted Michael Wilson for what would have been a game-tying touchdown and extra point. Banks jumped the route, secured the interception, and took it the length of the field to secure the win.
It was the second straight week the Giants' defense delivered a decisive late-game play. In Week 3, Jevon Holland intercepted a pass in the end zone to preserve a victory. The back-to-back finishes stand in contrast to last season, when New York repeatedly lost one-score games and suffered late-game collapses.
The game was eventful throughout. Arizona opened with two touchdown drives led by Brissett to take a 14-6 lead. Giants quarterback Jameis Winston, playing in the rain after struggling in a nor'easter the previous week, responded in the second quarter with a 12-yard touchdown pass to rookie Malachi Fields — the first of Fields' NFL career — after Arvell Reese recorded his first career interception.
Winston then connected with Malik Nabers for a 25-yard touchdown to give New York a 19-14 lead in the second quarter. Nabers finished with six receptions for 116 yards, his breakout performance of the season.
Winston's turnover issues resurfaced, however. On back-to-back drives — one to end the first half and one to begin the third quarter — he threw interceptions that set up Cardinals scores, including a go-ahead touchdown to tight end Elijah Higgins. Winston later redeemed himself with a 76-yard drive capped by a touchdown pass to Theo Johnson that put the Giants back in front for good.
Head coach John Harbaugh's defense held firm when it mattered most. The unit's final stand, capped by Banks' pick-six, moved the Giants to 3-1 and kept momentum building in New York. The team has now won two straight since a Week 2 loss to the Rams, a game in which Jaxson Dart suffered a season-ending knee injury.
For the Cardinals, the loss dropped them to a disappointing start and wasted a strong opening effort from Brissett. Arizona had a chance to steal a road win in difficult conditions but could not convert on its final opportunity.
The Giants will look to build on their division lead as the season progresses, while the Eagles, Cowboys, and Commanders remain within striking distance in a tightly packed NFC East.