Giants Rookies Steal the Show in Win Over Cardinals

On a day the New York Giants celebrated their past, their future stars helped the current team.

Rookies Arvell Reese and Malachi Fields each recorded NFL firsts, when the receiver scored a touchdown and the linebacker posted his first pro interception in the Giants’ 36-24 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Fields’ touchdown was both his first in the NFL and also the Giants’ first since Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys. The Giants’ third-round pick caught one touchdown during the preseason.

Arvell Reese Intercepts His First NFL Pass

At halftime, the Giants celebrated their 1986 team, undoubtedly the most dominant defensive team in franchise history.

But the all-time greats such as Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks and Harry Carson got to see Reese dominate.

After Dominic Zvada cut the Arizona lead to 14-6, Reese helped his team get the ball back by pressuring Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett into an errant throw that Greg Newsome II picked off.

After Fields scored, cutting the lead to 14-12, Reese picked off a tipped ball from Shelby Harris for his first interception in a game since his high school state championship game in 2022.

“I looked at it and just seen it coming,” Reese said.

Reese was everywhere, registering a team-high nine tackles and three passes defended. His dominance was enough for coach John Harbaugh to single out after the game.

“He was all over the field again,” Harbaugh said. “He played great. … He’s really taken off.”

Malachi Fields Caught His First NFL Touchdown

Fields’ touchdown was him manifesting quarterback Jameis Winston’s pregame prediction.

“I told him this was the week that he gets his first NFL touchdown,” Winston said. “I’m just proud of him, and I’m happy he was able to get that.”

Winston rolled out and hit the rookie for a 12-yard touchdown, which cut the Arizona lead to 14-12.

“I saw him break out of the pocket and scramble, so I took it high and [Winston] dealt it for a touchdown,” Fields said.

But arguably his more important play came in the third quarter when he caught a 40-yard pass from Winston on third-and-20, keeping the Giants’ drive alive and setting up Winston’s 14-yard touchdown to Theo Johnson, which put the Giants up for good.

“We’re all just hungry to do whatever we can to help the team win,” Fields said of the Giants’ rookie class. “Whenever we have the chance to make a play, we’re trying to take full advantage of it.”