Aidan Hutchinson's walk-off sack shows why Detroit Lions paid big

These are the types of plays that tell you why the Detroit Lions are spending $180 million on one player.

With the New York Giants down to a fourth-and-5 from the Lions' 27, down seven in overtime and needing a first down, Lions' defensive tackle Alim McNeill collapsed towards Giants quarterback Jameis Winston looking to disrupt the veteran passer.

Like he had done for most of the game, Winston stepped forward out of the pressure looking for a receiver downfield. Instead, he found Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson grabbing him from behind to record a walk-off sack in the Lions' 34-27 overtime win over the Giants on Sunday, Nov. 23, at Ford Field.

It was Hutchinson's first full sack since a Week 9 loss against the Minnesota Vikings and the Lions' only sack of the day on Winston. But it couldn't have come at a bigger moment.

"Guys were sticky in coverage, Alim had a great bull rush on it which led Jameis to step up right into me," he said. "That's what happens when you're covering and your whole D-line is rushing hard. Eventually you reap the rewards."

It took a while to reap those rewards. Detroit's pass rush, a source of strength for much of the season, couldn't get Winston to the ground at all during regulation, with multiple third-and-long conversions downfield that had the Giants leading until the last minute before OT.

But after Lions' kicker Jake Bates tied it up with a career-long 59-yard field goal with 28 seconds left in regulation, and after running back Jahmyr Gibbs put the Lions in front in the overtime period with a 69-yard rushing touchdown, the defense had a chance to redeem itself by holding the Giants scoreless in the overtime period. And it was Hutchinson that put the final word on the unit's redemption arc.

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In a way, the Lions' pass rush was a microcosm of the team's overall performance in this game – lacking in many areas but successful when it absolutely had to be.

"Sometimes it's just important to remind yourself what we're all capable of even when the chips are down and things get hard," Lions coach Dan Campbell said. "That very easily a number of times could have gone the other way, and we all know it. But it didn't. We made the plays we had to make."

Hutchinson has been his usual self in his return from last year's broken leg, recording 8½ sacks and coming into the game with a league-leading four forced fumbles through 11 games. His play over his first four seasons, where he has shown to be one of the most dangerous pass rushers in football, is why the Lions signed him to a four-year, $180 million deal on Oct. 29.

The Giants' blocking, however, did a good job of neutralizing Hutchinson and the rest of the Lions' pass rush – until the last play, that is.

The Lions at 7-4, and currently out of a playoff spot, still have yet to fully show their playoff worthiness after a close win against a 2-10 Giants team. A win over the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving Day can go a long way to boost this team's confidence, and they'll likely need help from the pass rush to make that win a reality.

In the meantime, Hutchinson called it a "blessing" to be able to play in situations like this.

"This journey on this road to recovery this year, my comeback season ... it [has] me really thinking about about how grateful I am for this moment and the opportunity to play football. Having moments like that, it really is so amazing," he said.

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You can reach Christian at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Aidan Hutchinson shows mega-bucks skills with walk-off sack vs Giants