EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — New York Giants rookie outside linebacker Kyvon Thibodeaux isn’t concerned about the criticism Indianapolis Colts coach Jeff Saturday had about his sack celebration next to injured quarterback Nick Foles on Sunday.
“I don’t know who he is,” Thibodeau said Wednesday. “So I’m not really concerned about people commenting on me, and I don’t know.”
Saturday is currently the Colts’ interim head coach. As a player, he was a six-time Pro Bowl center, and after retiring, he served as an ESPN analyst.
On Monday, he called Thibodeaux’s celebration “trash” and “a taste.” This came after Thibodeaux had snow angels near Foles when the quarterback laid on the field injured.
Foles eventually walked off after receiving medical treatment for a rib injury, but needed the cart to take him to the locker room. Saturday said he is also disappointed in his offensive linemen for not protecting their quarterback.
Thibodeaux said after the game, and then reiterated Wednesday that he didn’t know Foles was injured while making the Snow Angels or when he was caught on camera moments later with the Steph Curry lay-up. -Sleep celebration. While Foles is still down.
“People can say anything about anything. So I’m not really worried about what people say,” Thibodeaux said. “I play the game to be successful, and the only way I’m successful is if I take down quarterbacks. So that’s what I get paid to do. That’s what I did. And celebrations are legal in football. I celebrated , and God willing he continues to get better and recover.”
Thibodeaux was unblocked off the edge on a third-down play late in the second quarter of Sunday’s 38-10 Giants victory. He blasted Foles from behind to record the key sack that forced a punt.
The Giants then kicked a field goal to take command late in the half.
“That’s what people don’t understand. After you make a play and I look to the sideline and my team is calling for the special teams to go out there, I don’t look back to see who’s on the field,” Thibodeaux said. “I never look back, there is no looking back. Once you go straight to the side, we sent them home.
“At that point, the game is over. Once you get the ball back and you beat them again, as far as them as an offense, and you finish it, it’s over.”
Thibodeaux was the fifth overall pick in this year’s draft out of Oregon. He had 49 tackles, four sacks and a touchdown on a pass sack.
Giants coach Brian Daboll downplayed the incident earlier in the week. Thibodeaux said it wasn’t something the team discussed with him in the time since.
“You don’t play the game for anybody to get injured,” he said. “But I play defense. They brought me here to be wild and to take over the game and impact the game. We preach impacting the game is affecting the quarterback.
