Darius Slayton continues to come on for Giants, stars despite Sunday loss vs. Jets

The rookie wide receiver had a career-best performance in Week 10

11/11/2019, 5:08 AM

The Giants came up short Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where the 34-27 final score favored the Jets.

Perhaps the margin would have been much further apart if not for Giants rookie wide receiver Darius Slayton's career-best performance.

Slayton caught 10 passes on 14 targets and compiled 121 yards (12.1 per reception) and totaled two touchdowns, including a long of 39.

 

Despite the effort, Slayton was in no mood for discussing accomplishments -- and with good reason, after the Giants fell to 2-8.

Against the Jets (2-7), the Giants squandered Slayton's outing, which fueled rookie quarterback Daniel Jones' 308 yards and four touchdowns.

Jones completed 26 of 40 passes (65.0 percent), but suffered six sacks -- including a third-quarter strip on a 25-yard fumble return for a touchdown for Jets safey Jamal Adams -- as the offense ultimately sputtered late.

"Just kind of looking forward to getting back to work and winning some games," Slayton said. "I mean, I think at the end of the day, I don't think anybody around here is going to quit. I don't think anybody around here is going to quote, unquote tank or anything like that. We just have to get back to work and find a way to win games."

Slayton gave the Giants each of their two second-quarter scores after a 14-0 first-quarter deficit, cutting the Jets' halftime lead to 14-13 after a five-yard snag and a 39-yard haul.

The Giants led 27-24 after Jones' 15-yard touchdown pass to veteran wide receiver Golden Tate with 5:21 left in the third quarter, but the production stopped there.

The Jets rattled off 13 unanswered points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, to hand the Giants their sixth straight loss.

"It's definitely frustrating ... we went into the fourth quarter with the lead, we were feeling pretty good, playing fairly well, moving the ball pretty well," Slayton said. "We've just got to find a way to close the game out."

If nothing else, Slayton's rise is among the few bright spots for the Giants, who clearly have a ways to go on offense but might have a dynamic duo in the making with Jones at quarterback.

After the Giants drafted Jones with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, they took Slayton -- an Auburn product (2014-18) -- with their fifth-round slot.

Slayton now has 27 receptions for 394 yards (14.6 average) and five touchdowns, including seven catches of 20-plus yards and one haul for 40-plus yards, in eight games.

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