Arvell Reese’s breakout keeps getting louder.
The New York Giants rookie linebacker was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week after a wrecking-ball performance against the Philadelphia Eagles, and the numbers tell the whole story. Reese piled up 3.0 sacks, 12 total tackles, 10 of them solo, along with 3 tackles for a loss, 3 QB hits and a forced fumble.
That kind of production doesn’t come around often. Reese became the rookie since 1994, when individual tackles first started being tracked, to record at least 3.0 sacks and 10 tackles in a game. He’s also just the fourth player overall to post those numbers.
The Giants have clearly found a defensive centerpiece, and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson has leaned into it. Wilson’s scheme has quickly shifted to feature Reese and Abdul Carter, with the staff finding different ways to put both players in position to attack the offense.
“He’s so coachable,” Giants’ Head Coach John Harbaugh said. “We’re bringing him from a lot of different places, and a lot of times he’s picking, or he’s setting the pick, or he’s spying.
He does everything. He never gets into that world like, ‘I want to do this or that.’
Or ‘I want to rush the passer.’ Or ‘I want to cover man to man.’
He doesn’t worry about it. He just says, ‘You tell me what to do.
What does the defense call for? What’s my job?’
He’s going to be doing it 100 miles an hour every time, and it’s just very, very cool and refreshing to see that, especially in such a young guy.”
Reese’s honor is the latest in a growing pile of recognition for the Giants. Safety Jevon Holland was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for September, WR Malik Nabers took NFC Offensive Player of the Month for October, and CB Deonte Banks earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 4 after his game-winning interception against the Cardinals.
Reese had already been recognized once before, too. He was voted Pepsi Defensive Rookie of the Week after his takeover performance in the Giants’ win over the Arizona Cardinals, and he’s been nominated for that award again this week.
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