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Giants beat Cardinals on game-ending pick-six to move to 3-1

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Cite

Dunleavy, R. (2026, October 4). Giants beat Cardinals on game-ending pick-six to move to 3-1. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2026/10/04/sports/giants-beat-cardinals-on-game-ending-pick-six-to-move-to-3-1/

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

New York Post · collected 2026-10-04 · by Ryan Dunleavy

Quick Summary

In a thrilling game celebrating the 40th anniversary of the 1986 Super Bowl championship, rookie Deonte Banks sealed the Giants' victory over the Cardinals with a 98-yard pick-six as time expired. The final score was 36-24, marking the Giants' 3-1 start for the first time since 2022 and their first three home game wins in a season since 2008. Quarterback Daniel "Jameis" Winston threw three touchdowns but also two interceptions, drawing criticism from some fans despite leading them to the win.
Written by AI on 2026-10-04, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Dennard Wilson and John Harbaugh instilled confidence in Deonte Banks, who reached a speed of 21.85 mph on his 98-yard interception return for a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals. Jameis Winston threw an interception that gave the Cardinals a lead, but Banks' pick-6 sealed the game for the Giants (3-1). The Cardinals (1-3) are frustrated after losing three consecutive games despite looking strong at times during their matchups. Jacoby Brissett has struggled with wins, holding a 2-14 record over two seasons with the Cardinals and a career mark of 21-48 as a starter. Head coach Mike LaFleur is trying to keep his team focused on moving forward rather than dwelling on past losses. The NFC East remains competitive, with no clear favorite emerging after four weeks. The Giants' backup quarterbacks have kept them in contention for the division lead despite challenges. Paul Schwartz provides exclusive insights into the Giants through texts for Sports+ subscribers. Jevon Holland emphasized the importance of trust and confidence from coaches to players like Banks. Winston's performance continues to be scrutinized, with the team looking to finish drives efficiently without making costly mistakes. The Cardinals face a tough road ahead as they try to turn their season around after another close loss. John Harbaugh has set high standards for his team that are being met by players like Banks, who made a critical play in the final moments of the game against Arizona. The Giants' resilience and ability to come back from deficits highlight their potential as contenders in the NFC East. LaFleur aims to prevent the Cardinals from feeling sorry for themselves and encourages them to focus on improving rather than dwelling on past mistakes. Winston's interception led to a 24-19 deficit, but Banks' return secured the victory, showcasing the Giants' defensive prowess under Harbaugh's leadership. The NFC East remains unpredictable with each team having its strengths and weaknesses, making it difficult to predict which team will emerge as the division winner. LaFleur emphasizes moving forward and not letting past losses define their future performance against other teams. Winston's struggles continue to be a focal point for the Giants' offense, but Banks' heroics demonstrate the importance of strong defensive play in securing victories. The Cardinals' inability to capitalize on opportunities contrasts with the Giants' ability to make big plays when needed most. LaFleur acknowledges the need for his team to stay positive and focused as they navigate through a challenging season. Winston's interception was pivotal, but Banks' return showcased the Giants' resilience and defensive capabilities under Harbaugh's guidance. The NFC East remains competitive, with each game potentially determining playoff positioning. LaFleur aims to keep his players motivated despite recent setbacks, emphasizing the importance of moving forward rather than dwelling on past losses. Winston's performance continues to be a topic of discussion as the Giants look for ways to improve their offensive efficiency without making costly mistakes. Banks' interception return was a defining moment in the game, highlighting the impact of strong defensive play under Harbaugh's leadership. LaFleur encourages his team to stay positive and focused on improving rather than feeling sorry for themselves after another close loss. The NFC East remains unpredictable with each team having its strengths and weaknesses, making it difficult to predict which team will emerge as the division winner. Winston's struggles continue to be a focal point for the Giants' offense, but Banks' heroics demonstrate the importance of strong defensive play in securing victories. LaFleur aims to keep his players motivated despite recent setbacks, emphasizing the need to stay positive and focused on improving their performance moving forward.

Written for “Giants' Pick-Six Win Over Cardinals” on 2026-11-04, grounded in this article and the 16 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Giants' Pick-Six Win Over Cardinals
Sports · 17 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 0% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
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Hedges 0 of 16 claims Outlet record 66/100
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Fox News
Hedges 2 of 23 claims Outlet record 68/100
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Hedges 1 of 13 claims Outlet record 66/100
New York Post
Hedges 1 of 8 claims Outlet record 66/100
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New York Post
Hedges 0 of 10 claims Outlet record 66/100
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New York Post
Hedges 0 of 8 claims Outlet record 66/100
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
20
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
0%
0 of 20 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
66/100
New York Post's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
17
Sports
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-04 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

New York Post · 16741 article(s) · 36 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 36 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Ryan Dunleavy
72 article(s) here · 0 carrying a prediction
🔮 “I got hit on one of the touchdowns and didn’t know that Jalen [Nailor] scored, but I could hear our Raiders fans,” Cousins added.
🔮 Under different circumstances, the career-best performances by Braelon Allen and Adonai Mitchell could be celebrated as the Jets developing playmakers to complement Garrett Wilson.
🔮 Tanking would make sense — if the Colts hadn’t previously traded their first-round pick to the Jets.
🔮 If John Harbaugh were picking between two Michigan-bred quarterbacks this week, the Giants would start J.J. McCarthy over Tom Brady.
🔮 Edmunds will go from logging every defensive snap in the first six games to missing every snap in the final 11, The Post confirmed, after he was injured late in last week’s game against the Saints.
🔮 Maybe it’s time for the NFL to change its logo to include a player’s hand punching at the football that sits atop the shield.
🔮 “Maybe now 20 percent of that 30 that was gone is back,” Nagy said before Thursday’s practice.
🔮 McCarthy’s last pass — on fourth-and-1 from the 14-yard line with 12 seconds remaining — fell incomplete or else the Giants would’ve had a chance to win the game or send it to overtime despite trailing 34-10 when the quarterback change was made with 11:36 to go.
🔮 tRY IT NOW“I would love for us to be in that kind of a circumstance,” Harbaugh said.
🔮 If J.J. McCarthy was guaranteed to throw for 943 yards, rush for 104 yards and lead 12 scoring drives in his next start, then the Giants wouldn’t have a quarterback controversy on their hands.
Also by Ryan Dunleavy
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 72 articles by Ryan Dunleavy →

Topics

Cardinals Giants NFL Super Bowl

Subjects

Giants ORG · 12× Winston PERSON · 7× Reese PERSON · 2× Banks PERSON · 1× Cardinals ORG · 1× Deonte Banks PERSON · 1× Jacoby Brissett PERSON · 1× Michael Wilson PERSON · 1× NFL ORG · 1× Paul Schwartz PERSON · 1×

Narrative

Deonte Banks — whose NFL career looked dead in June — rebounded from a key defensive pass interference penalty to jump in front of a fourth-down pass and returned it 98 yards for a touchdown as time expired on a 36-24 victory against the Cardinals. Access the Giants like never before Get texts from Paul Schwartz with all the latest Giants news and insights, exclusive to Sports+ subscribers. tRY IT NOWFacing fourth-and-goal at the 4-yard line in need of a touchdown and a PAT to win the game, Jacoby Brissett threw to Michael Wilson, but Banks jumped the route and had nothing but space in front of him as he soaked in a long run with exploding fans who no longer see him as a draft bust but as a salvaged starter with promise. You wanted your quintessential Jameis Winston Game, you got it.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-04
2026-10-04 · New York Post
Giants beat Cardinals on game-ending pick-six to move to 3-1 · assertive framing

Claims (20 extracted, 0 hedged)

On a day when many of the 1986 Super Bowl champions were on hand to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their title, the Giants walked-off with a pick-6 to play proper homage. asserted
Giants → celebrate → homage
Deonte Banks — whose NFL career looked dead in June — rebounded from a key defensive pass interference penalty to jump in front of a fourth-down pass and returned it 98 yards for a touchdown as time expired on a 36-24 victory against the Cardinals. Access the Giants like never before Get texts from Paul Schwartz with all the latest Giants news and insights, exclusive to Sports+ subscribers. tRY IT NOWFacing fourth-and-goal at the 4-yard line in need of a touchdown and a PAT to win the game, Jacoby Brissett threw to Michael Wilson, but Banks jumped the route and had nothing but space in front of him as he soaked in a long run with exploding fans who no longer see him as a draft bust but as a salvaged starter with promise. You wanted your quintessential Jameis Winston Game, you got it. asserted
you → look → it
After expressing frustration this week that he has been drawing too much criticism for quietly managing the Giants to a victory by people who wanted to see his trademark make-or-break throws, Winston threw three touchdowns and two interceptions at MetLife Stadium. asserted
Winston → express → Stadium
The Giants are 3-1 for the first time since 2022 and have won their first three home games for the first time since 2008 in old Giants Stadium. asserted
Giants → win → Stadium
With the Giants protecting a three-point lead and 11:08 on the clock, Najee Harris, who barreled in for a two-point conversion earlier, fumbled on a second-effort push. asserted
who → protect → push
The Giants survived because Abdul Carter — stepping up with Brian Burns out for the season — had back-to-back quarterback hits to force a thee-and-out. asserted
Burns → survive → thee
Rookie linebacker Arvell Reese got the Giants defense turned around in the second quarter with three game-changing plays. asserted
defense → get → plays
Reese hit Brissett and forced an underthrown interception to Greg Newsome II. asserted
Reese → hit → II
He also made an open-field third-down tackle on Tyler Allgeier to force a punt. asserted
He → make → punt
And then he corralled a batted pass by Shelby Harris for his first career interception, setting up the Giants with a 26-yard short field that turned into a Malik Nabers touchdown catch. asserted
that → corral → catch
Winston threw two touchdown passes only 128 seconds apart late in the second quarter but threw interceptions the next two times that he touched the ball. asserted
he → throw → ball
There were small sections of the stadium chanting for newly acquired quarterback J.J. McCarthy — who was surprisingly active — to replace Winston. asserted
who → be → Winston
Winston finally ended a streak of 23 straight true possessions without a touchdown since taking over for the injured Jaxson Dart when he led the Giants on a seven-play, 56-yard drive to cut into a 14-6 deficit. asserted
he → end → deficit
It was helped by his legs — surprisingly enough — because Winston drew a facemask penalty on one scramble, and was out of the pocket and improvising on another when he found Malalchi Fields transitioning from blocker to target for a 12-yard touchdown. asserted
Fields → help → touchdown
Two plays after a quick interception by Reese, Winston found Nabers down the seam for his first touchdown catch post-ACL surgery and a 19-14 lead. asserted
Winston → find → catch
Winston’s second go-ahead touchdown pass came late in the third quarter when he found Theo Johnson in the back of the end zone. asserted
he → go → zone
Johnson, who has had a drops-plagued career, made the contested catch and Harris powered in for two additional points. asserted
Harris → have → points
Dominic Zvada made all three of his field goals to stretch his career-opening streak to 9-for-9, including a 52-yarder with 2:11 remaining. asserted
Zvada → make → 2:11
But that left the Giants in the precarious position of holding a six-point lead with 67 yards to defend. asserted
that → leave → yards
Two games in a row have ended with an interception in the end zone, after Jevon Holland sealed last week’s win against the Titans in the final 17 seconds. asserted
Holland → end → seconds
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