Kayvon Thibodeaux hungry to help Giants' defense be dominant

Over the past two weeks, the Giants' defense has allowed a total of 21 points - an impressive feat in any era.

As such, despite the return to form of Saquon Barkley and the health status of Daniel Jones being on many minds, there’s a case to be made this week that the Giants' defense is actually the star of this show.

And that’s the kind of football, a stingy defensive struggle, where Kayvon Thibodeaux excels. 

Thibodeaux — who dropped a likely pick-6 against the Commanders Sunday but had 1.5 sacks — leads the Giants with 5.5. The Giants as a team have 11. 

In his second season, Thibodeaux looks more comfortable for one good reason ... He is more comfortable. 

“[Everything is] amazing, a lot smoother,” he said. “You can read between the lines of the game. There are a lot of advantages of being a veteran. I’m not there yet, but I’m two years in.” 

Thibodeaux spent part of his off day Tuesday attending an event for Chunky Soup.  

Thibodeaux is working with other NFL defensive players across the league – they’re called the “Soup Squad” — to donate over two million meals to people in need. 

“It’s about giving back,” Thibodeaux said at the event. “It’s the holiday season. Hunger is a big [problem] in our country. Being able to serve communities that we can is amazing. It’s a family effort. My mom was in town. It’s the holiday season, so family is starting to be around more. What a great way to give back.” 

Said his mother, Shawnta Loice, who was also in attendance: “I’m very proud of him. It’s a blessing to be able to give back. That’s something we instilled. It’s always a blessing to be able to give something to others. That’s something we’ve loved to do, to give back.” 

According to Feeding America, one in six people looked to the charitable food sector for help in 2022. 

Thibodeaux is working with Chunky Sacks Hunger to raise awareness. 

“Campbell’s is amazing,” he said. 

Every sack this season will account for 1,000 meals for folks in need. 

As Thibodeaux said, “They’re doing the right thing.” 

And he’s largely been doing the right thing on the field. 

The entire Giants defense appeared to have a strong game Sunday. At times, defensive linemen Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams seemed to be in a race to get to Washington quarterback Sam Howell. 

Thibodeaux said he sensed their efforts. 

“You feel it,” he said. “I think I almost bumped into Dex four or five times. When there’s constant pressure, we can all make plays. It was definitely a team effort.” 

The key to Thibodeaux’s success? 

“Hard work,” he said. “You can’t really dictate how the season goes. You have to be prepared when your time comes and seize the moment.” 

Thibodeaux has been reliable, to say the least, this season. Over the last three games, he’s played in 95 percent of the Giants' defensive snaps. 

That, he said, reflects the work he did in the offseason. 

“Last year, when I was a rookie, I didn’t know I was going to play as many snaps as I did,” he said. “As a sophomore now, I knew. I’m ready for it.” 

And the Giants are better for it. 

By Kimberly Jones

kimberly.jones@newsday.comkimjonessports

Kimberly Jones covers the Giants for Newsday, a beat she first worked in the early 2000s before joining the YES Network to cover the Yankees. She worked for the NFL Network for more than a decade and has been heard semi-regularly on WFAN.