Kayvon Thibodeaux explains his 0-tackle game against Cardinals
May 13, 2022; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) speaks to the media during rookie camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports
Kayvon Thibodeaux and the New York Giants had an abysmal Week 1. The team may have performed better in their Week 2 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, but the Giants linebacker still provided a box score dud.
Thibodeaux failed to record a single tackle in the 31-28 comeback victory over the Cardinals. He has also yet to record a sack in two games this season.
The Giants edge rusher was asked about his lack of tackles while speaking to the media on Tuesday.
Thibodeaux explained that he simply wasn’t in the proper position to make tackles as Arizona “kept running away from him.” For the times the Cardinals did run toward him, he focused on setting the edge for his teammates to make plays.
#Giants OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux, who did not have a tackle against the #Cardinals, says that if you watched the game you’d see he wasn’t in a position to make tackles because Arizona kept running away from him. When they ran to him he was focused on setting the edge so teammates…
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) September 19, 2023
For Thibodeaux, the Giants’ win mattered more than his individual stat line. The 22-year-old featured in 94% of the team’s snaps on Sunday as his squad mounted a monumental comeback.
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux says it is not about the stat line after finishing with zero tackles in Sunday’s win over the Cardinals. He “was on the backside a lot of those plays.” Stresses the priority for him was being able to contribute to a win.
Mentions there a lot of “social… pic.twitter.com/qAFzzac2Gp
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) September 19, 2023
Just gotta keep getting better; one for the good guys!
— Kayvon Thibodeaux (@kayvont) September 17, 2023
The Giants selected Thibodeaux with the fifth-overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft with the hope that he could turn into a game-changing edge rusher.
While the numbers on the box score aren’t the only things that matter in an NFL contest, getting some measurable production from a top pick shouldn’t be too much to ask.