Detroit Lions star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson made the final play in his team’s 34-27 overtime win over the New York Giants on Sunday, Nov. 23, sacking Giants quarterback Jameis Winston for a walk-off win that helped keep the Lions’ playoff hopes alive.
It was the only sack for a Lions’ pass rush that got to Winston repeatedly but failed to take him down in regulation. It was also Hutchinson’s first game with a full sack since the Lions’ loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 2, bringing him to 8½ this season.
But according to Giants veteran offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, Hutchinson wasn’t much of a factor in the game.
“How do I say this respectfully: He did not do a damn thing all [expletive] game,” Eluemunor told The Athletic’s Dan Duggan. “He strikes me as the type of guy that would try to celebrate that one play, but for most of the day I was on an island with him and he didn’t do anything.”
Hutchinson recorded four solo tackles (a season high), six quarterback hits (another season high and one less than the entire Giants defense), two tackles for loss and one sack against New York. The eye test may show that Hutchinson struggled to get sacks, but by the numbers, he had arguably one of his best games of the season.
“We won the game,” Hutchinson said Monday night when asked about Eluemunor’s comments, “and I ended the game with a sack and I don’t care when the sack comes, as long as it’s there, and we get the win, it’s great.”
That’s not to mention the game-ending sack, one of the most consequential plays of his career.
“Obviously I’m pissed about the last play, but at the same time, there’s not much you can do,” Eluemunor continued. “They know what you’re going to do and he still tries to give me his best move and I run him by the quarterback and he just manages to run back upfield and get the sack.”
Hutchinson, meanwhile, praised the Giants after the game.
“I was fighting all game,” he said. “They were really running the ball and really trying to set that tone. … They’ve been playing every team really hard, and it’s a credit to them. But we ended up pulling it out in the end.”
The Lions (7-4) play the Green Bay Packers (7-3-1) in a crucial Thanksgiving matchup at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday.
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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Giants OT disses Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson: ‘He did not do a … thing’
Reporting by Christian Romo, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
