DETROIT -- Aidan Hutchinson didn’t make much noise against the New York Giants for most of the game.
But an overtime sack on fourth down to clinch the comeback victory for the Detroit Lions is something he and the team will take every time. Hutchinson had Detroit’s only sack of the game on the final play, notching six of its seven quarterback hits. He also finished with a season-high six total tackles, and managed to get it rolling in the clutch.
Giants right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor got some thoughts off his chest about Hutchinson when speaking with The Athletic after the game.
“How do I say this respectfully: He did not do a damn thing all (expletive) game,” Eluemunor said. “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.
“Obviously, I’m pissed about the last play, but at the same time, there’s not much you can do. 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.”
To Hutchinson’s defense, celebrating a sack that clinches the game on a fourth down at Detroit’s 27-yard line seems worth it. There is some truth -- and delusion -- to what Eluemunor is saying, though.
Yes, Hutchinson was quiet for most of the game. The Giants did an admirable job of containing him and the rest of the defensive line until it mattered the most. But on an island? The Lions pass rusher faced a barrage of constant chips out of the backfield, as he always does, facing extra attention.
When the defense needed it most, Alim McNeill pushed the guard like a blocking sled, and Hutchinson closed the gap to get to Jameis Winston.
Hutchinson also had six pressures on 17 pass rushers through just the fourth quarter and overtime. He had only two on 21 chances through the first three quarters, but celebrating that seems more questionable than praising an overtime sack to win the game. Hutchinson heads into Week 13 leading the NFL with 31 pressures in the fourth quarter alone, and has the highest pressure rate (29%) of any player since 2018, per NFL Pro.
The 25-year-old recently extended pass rusher has 8.5 sacks in 11 games, with four forced fumbles and nine tackles for loss. Hutchinson has a sack in all but three games this season.
“That’s why we have the guys that we have, because they are resilient,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “Even when we’re off just a little bit, when we need it most, those guys can resort back to their training. Just stay in the moment, and, ‘man, you’re about to get my best rep.’ And it’s competitive, and they believe they can will it to happen, and they make plays.
“It’s no different than what Hutch did at the end of the game, man. That’s a huge fourth down when we needed it. That’s our guys, man. I trust our guys.”
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