Everything Brian Daboll said about benching and alienating the Giants first-round pick

While the 26-18 score line from Monday Night Football suggests the New York Giants were able to keep up with the high-powered Pittsburgh Steelers, that certainly was not the case.

Quarterback Daniel Jones reverted back to his incompetent self in the second half while the rest of the team made head coach Brian Daboll look like a fired man walking with their lack of execution in nearly all areas.

One player in particular drew the ire of Daboll late in the game. Cornerback Deonte Banks was benched in the second half for a reported lack of effort.

Brian Daboll addresses why he benched his first-round CB Deonte Banks

Daboll spoke to reporters after the loss Monday night and explained his rationale behind benching one of the team's only remaining first-round talents on defense.

"Just thought, during that series, needed a little more," Daboll explained. "I had a conversation with him and went with the other guys."

Daboll denied a single play was the sole reason Banks was told to stand down, particularly one where Pittsburgh running back Najee Harris hurdled him for a critical first down.

"That was a tough play," Daboll said in Banks' defense. "Najee does that, there were a couple of other little things there that we gotta tighten up detail-wise and I know he will."

This isn't the first time Banks' effort has been called out this season. The 2023 first-round pick out of Maryland took a lackadaisical approach to chasing down Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts in last week's 28-3 loss to the division rivals.

Banks admitted last week's play was a "bad effort" but we have yet to hear from him about what may have hindered him from supposedly not giving 100 percent against Pittsburgh.

New York and Banks now have a short week to prepare for division-leading Washington, which has only gotten better since the last time they met in Week 2.