2 weeks Ago By Ryan Dunleavy
Kayvon Thibodeaux took a big step forward last week. Another step should get the Giants’ former first-round draft pick to the quarterback in time for his first sack. After a quiet season opener , a more disruptive Thibodeaux had two tackles for loss as a run stopper plus three pressures and two quarterback hits as a pass rusher against the Commanders.
“He made major strides from Week 1 to Week 2,” defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said. “He challenged himself to come out [to practice] and work. I felt the urgency from him after Week 1 and it showed.
Go look at last Wednesday’s, Thursday’s, Friday’s practice and watch K.T. Turn on the tape on Sunday and it’s going to show up.
” The bar for Thibodeaux is higher than it has been in either of his first two seasons, including as a rookie drafted No. 5 overall. He is coming off an 11 1⁄2-sack season and drawing fewer double-teams with Brian Burns rushing off the opposite edge .
“I’m realizing it’s a long season, and the only way to get better is to get better. That’s the mindset I’ve been taking,” Thibodeaux said. “We still lost, so individual [praise] don’t really hold any weight when you lose.
” The Browns listed three offensive tackles on the injury report, but left tackle Jack Conklin is trending toward starting after full participation. “One of the bigger teams up front,” Thibodeaux said. “They like to move people.
They like to run the ball. So you’re definitely going to have to stop the run and be ready to set edges.” Bowen’s message to Thibodeaux is to “stay on the attack” because opportunities are coming.
Sunday would be a cool time for Thibodeaux to break out because Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett will be on the other side. “You either have a lot of talent, or you have a lot of skill, or you’re Myles Garrett [with both],” Thibodeaux said. “And he’s a guy who is a Hall of Famer.
He’s a guy I looked up to coming out of high school. And he’s going to continue to dominate the league for a long time. Definitely look at his game and try to model mine after him.
” CB Isaiah Simmons was not with the team Thursday due to personal reasons, after he left the facility early Wednesday. Head coach Brian Daboll expects Simmons to be available Sunday. Simmons’ close friend and former Clemson teammate Diondre Overton was shot and killed Sept.
7 in North Carolina. Josh Ezeudu has been an extra blocker on all three kicks (two field goals, one PAT) attempted this season. Evan Neal — the former first-round pick who lost his starting right tackle job after offseason ankle surgery — has not, despite a seemingly easy opportunity to sneak him some developmental live action .
“We train multiple players at different positions,” special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial said. “Evan is a guy who can play all those positions. So is Ezeudu.
We’re going to put out who we feel is going to give us the best chance to connect.” Newcomer Greg Joseph and rookie Jude McAtamney are competing to be the kicker Sunday after last week’s no-kicker-available debacle once Graham Gano (hamstring) was injured. Ghobrial said the decision will go “down to the wire,” but it would be curious if the Giants plucked Joseph (100-for-121 in his career on field goals) off of the Lions practice squad not to use him.
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