New York Giants' Deonte Banks emerging as game-changing return man

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Despite a challenging season at cornerback, New York Giants' Deonte Banks provided one of the year's brightest moments with a 95-yard kickoff return touchdown in Week 17, a play that helped secure victory and highlighted his emergence as a dangerous return specialist.

Special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial described the score as "a culmination of a lot of hard work, not just on that day and the execution of that day, but throughout his time here."

He emphasized Banks' dedication, noting that the third-year player had not returned kicks since high school.

"Tae has consistently put in the work to be a returner that hasn't necessarily done it at this level and hasn't done it in college," Ghobrial told reporters on Thursday. "For him to put all that work into the ball security, the catch mechanics, studying the kicker's approach, how to set up blocks… is a credit to him and just his ability to try and change a game in a positive manner."

Ghobrial stressed that the unit had generated explosive returns all season, fostering genuine belief. In the critical late-game huddle, players showed "zero panic" and declared they could "change the game right here, right now."

Banks' patience -- taking what was blocked, making correct cuts, and prioritizing ball security without forcing big play -- paid off spectacularly.

Perhaps most telling was a practice moment before the game: Banks halted the period, approached each blocker individually, thanked them, and said, "We're so close to scoring, let's go score this week."

That mindset, Ghobrial noted, translated directly into the touchdown and the exuberant team celebration that followed.

This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants' Deonte Banks emerging as game-changing return man

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