Kayvon Thibodeaux lands on IR on a significant Giants hit

The Giants will be without one of their most important defensive players for at least four weeks.

Big Blue placed Kayvon Thibodeaux on injured reserve Saturday after he suffered a wrist injury against the Seahawks last week.

Thibodeaux underwent surgery for a broken scaphoid bone in his wrist earlier this week, NFL Network reported.

The surgery was not expected to be season-ending.

Head coach Brian Daboll told reporters Wednesday that Thibodeaux is expected to play week-to-week.

The 23-year-old Thibodeaux had 12 tackles and two sacks in the Giants' first five games.

The Giants won't be going into a game with an injured specialist this time. On Saturday they signed Matt Haack and he will be their punter for Sunday night's game against the Bengals. Jamie Gillan injured his left hamstring during training on Friday, an injury that will rule him out of this game.

Haack, 30, spent four seasons with the Dolphins and also punted for the Bills, Colts and Browns. He was in Buffalo in 2021 with Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen. Haack appeared in 99 NFL games.

Placing Thibodeaux on IR freed up space on the roster for the move.

RB Devin Singletary (groin) has been downgraded to out and will miss his second straight game. WR/Special Teamer Bryce Ford-Wheaton (shoulder) was also ruled out. … WR Isaiah Hodgins and RB Dante Miller were called up from the practice squad.

New week, same challenge.

That about sums up the life of the top cornerback on a roster. For the Giants, it's Deonte Banks. The 23-year-old has already faced Justin Jefferson, Terry McLaurin, Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb and DK Metcalf in the first five weeks of this season.

Results were mixed, but Banks turned in his best performance of 2024, stopping Metcalf from taking over the game in last week's 29-20 win over the Seahawks.

However, there is no respite for a CB1. Next up is one of the league's most dangerous threats, as Banks starts opposite Ja'Marr Chase when the Giants face the Bengals on Sunday night at MetLife Stadium.

“He’s got everything,” defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said of Chase. “The ability to separate, the ability to get open, the ability to catch the ball up the field, the ability to catch the ball short and take the ball the distance. He has everything and is a problem. We have to know where he is every snap, we have to be aware of where he is every snap, both him and (Tee) Higgins, but he's a playmaker. “The quarterback gets it to him and he makes plays.”

Chase is averaging 17 yards per reception and already has five touchdowns. He has 11 catches of 50 or more yards in his career.

That's third in NFL history among players under 25. Only Randy Moss (14) and Harlon Hill (12) have more. Odell Beckham Jr. had 10 for the Giants before turning 25.

The fact that Banks, the Giants' 2023 first-round pick, is having one of the best games of his young NFL career is encouraging for the Giants. He limited Metcalf to four balls for 55 yards and forced a fumble.

“I thought he was tight,” Bowen said. “I thought he challenged and he got his hands on a few footballs. He just continued to stay focused, play in and keep playing. He was ready for the challenge. “It was nice to see him go out there and make some plays for us.”

The Bengals (1-4) have lost to the Patriots (ugh), Chiefs, Commanders and the 41-38 overtime loss to the Ravens last week was a real killer.

It's rare indeed for a quarterback to throw for 392 yards and five touchdown passes, post a 137.0 rating, and not be the winning quarterback.

That was Joe Burrow's life this season. It's easy to argue that Burrow is playing at a higher level than any other NFL quarterback – his 12 touchdown passes and 113.6 rating are tops among players with five starts – but the Bengals have rarely stopped anyone, and they are in danger of falling into the abyss of non-dispute.

At halftime, the Giants will honor their 2007 and 2011 Super Bowl championship teams as part of their ongoing 100th season celebration. The first 25,000 fans will receive a Tom Coughlin bobblehead.