Darius Slayton rises to the occasion when Giants need him
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 09: Darius Slayton #86 of the New York Giants has their jersey pulled by Jaire Alexander #23 of the Green Bay Packers in the second half during the NFL match between New York Giants and Green Bay Packers at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 09, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) Credit: Getty Images/Mike Hewitt
LONDON — After months of ignoring him in the game plans, yo-yoing him on the depth chart and barely keeping him on the roster until he agreed to a pay cut to stick around, the Giants turned to Darius Slayton in their time of need on Sunday.
And he was ready.
The wide receiver caught a team-high six passes for 79 yards in a 27-22 win over the Packers. Slayton stepped up into a significant role in a game in which the Giants were without receivers Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney and Wan’Dale Robinson. He gave the offense a spark after being a healthy scratch in Week 1, then playing sparingly and not seeing a pass come his way before catching one pass on two targets in Week 4 against the Bears.
“I’ve been focusing on what they ask me to do, and [on Sunday] they asked me to go out and make plays, and I was able to make them,” Slayton said.
Coach Brian Daboll said he was impressed not just by Slayton’s performance in the game but how he has handled his situation.
“Mental toughness,” Daboll said. “It’s easy when everything is going great for people, everyone is saying good things about them. This kid had a good mindset . . . He made the most of his opportunities when he had an opportunity to. When you make plays, you get more opportunities, and he did that.”
Perhaps there are more to come, too. Golladay is expected to miss several weeks with a knee injury. Toney suffered a new hamstring injury last week just as he was about to return from the one that kept him out for two games. Robinson returned to practice only last week from a knee injury suffered in Week 1. He did not practice Friday, so it is unclear if he suffered a setback.
That left Slayton to be the main target in the passing game.
It is, of course, something he has been in the past. He did lead the Giants in receiving yards in two (2019, 2020) of his previous three seasons and has shown he has a chemistry with quarterback Daniel Jones (even if it is one that occasionally is interrupted by dropped passes).
That may be why Slayton said he was not surprised that he was able to contribute the way he did on Sunday. “I know I am a good football player,” he said.
The rest of us need to be reminded of it from time to time.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
