Giants' Kayvon Thibodeaux recovers own strip-sack for TD return

New York Giants defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Giants' Kayvon Thibodeaux recovers own strip-sack for a scoop-and-score against Commanders

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 12/18/22

Rookie defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux continued to impact the New York Giants' rivalry with the Washington Commanders, posting the first defensive touchdown of his young career on "Sunday Night Football."

With 13:18 remaining in the opening half and the Giants trailing the Commanders 3-0, Thibodeaux made the play of the game. Thibodeaux flew around the edge, stripped Commanders' QB Taylor Heinicke of the football before scooping up the fumble, and waltzing into the endzone for six.

Kayvon Thibodeaux will do it ALL himself! #TogetherBlue TD. #NYGvsWAS on NBC and @peacock. pic.twitter.com/9EEHyXOarL
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) December 19, 2022

The No. 5 overall pick in last summer's draft had one of his best games of the year in Week 12's 20-20 tie against the Commanders. Thibodeaux posted a career-high five tackles (one for loss) with two quarterback hits and a sack.

The 22-year-old has yet to record the kind of production many had envisioned he would coming out of Oregon. Entering play on Sunday night, Thibodeaux had 26 tackles, ten quarterbacks hits, two sacks, and a forced fumble. However, defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, one of Thibodeaux's most prominent supporters, recently said the youngster is doing all the "selfless work" while insisting that the numbers "will come."

"Everybody wants to say sacks, sacks, sacks to him after games," Martindale said. "But if there's a thousand plays running and we're happy with 950 of them, it's better than the guy that has 12 sacks, plays 600 plays, can't play the run, can't do this, can't do that."

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