Tae Crowder was not concerned about taunting Derrick Henry

Giants linebacker Tae Crowder received a lot of attention this past week for his vicious hit Sunday that sent Titans running back Derrick Henry flying backward. It’s not often that many are able to take the 6-foot-3, 247-pound Henry down, let alone in the manner that Crowder did.

The former Georgia star stood over Henry, who played his college ball at Alabama, for several moments after knocking him to the ground him while looking down at the running back in celebration. Crowder nearly drew a taunting penalty for that, but said afterward it wasn’t a concern for him at the time.

“Let them call it,” Crowder told Newsday postgame. “We’ll just go line up again.”

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Tae Crowder has also been taking a victory lap off the field this week for his hit on Derrick Henry. The linebacker posted three videos to his Instagram featuring the hit as well as other highlights the Giants defense had against Henry.

Henry managed to rush for 82 yards on 21 carries Sunday, but did not score a touchdown. Crowder finished the game as the Giants leading tackler with seven, four of which came against Henry.

Crowder was selected by the New York Giants with the final pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. He racked up 57 tackles and one sack in his rookie campaign. He improved upon that number in 2021 with 130 tackles and one forced fumble, showing that he’s one of the best tacklers in the league. So far, his 2022 season is off to yet another successful start.

Crowder and the Giants will face another star running back this week when the Carolina Panthers and Christian McCaffrey come to town. McCaffrey will present a different challenge than Henry, factoring in heavily as both a runner and receiver, but Crowder is eager for the opportunity.

“Obviously it’ll be different,” Crowder said of the game plan facing McCaffrey. “But it’s not really about what they’re going to do. It’s about what we’re going to do.”

The Giants kick off against the Panthers at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday in MetLife Stadium.