The New York Giants earned a clutch upset victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. The Giants defense forced three turnovers and held the Raiders to only 16 points. In the midst of this dominant defensive performance was an unlikely standout: rookie edge rusher Quincy Roche.
Quincy Roche showed up big for the Giants in the game’s biggest moment on Sunday to help propel the team to victory. The New York Giants acquired Roche midseason and the rookie seems to have developed into a capable starter.
Quincy Roche stats and highlights
Rookie edge rusher Quincy Roche out of Miami was drafted in the sixth round of this year’s draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Just before the start of the regular season, the Giants claimed Roche off of waivers after the was cut by the Steelers. Quincy Roche was part of the Steelers’ last wave of roster cuts.
Quincy Roche started seeing playing time in Week Three for the Giants. His playing time has increased gradually week after week. Roche has started the last two games for the Giants.
Through six games and two starts, Quincy Roche has totaled 11 combined tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 1 sack. The sack, though, was a crucial one in the game’s biggest moment. Quincy Roche sacked Derek Carr and forced a fumble to seal the win for the Giants on Sunday.
This impressive play was a culmination of solid performances from Roche. The Giants rookie has recorded 5 pressures in the last two games (his two starts).
The New York Giants have struggled this year to consistently put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Edge rushers Lorenzo Carter and Oshane Ximines have had underwhelming seasons. After these last two games, it seems like the Giants’ rookies have taken over as the starters on the edge. Azeez Ojulari and Quincy Roche both seem to be diamonds that the Giants found in the rough. It will be exciting to watch this young pass-rushing duo develop over the course of the rest of the season.