Darius Slay Ready to Dig Deep with Playoff-Opener on Eagles' Horizon
PHILADELPHIA – The Eagles’ playoff bye provided more healing time for Jalen Hurts’ shoulder, Lane Johnson’s groin, Miles Sanders’ knee, and other bumps and bruises that have been collected by various players during the 18-week regular season.
Darius Slay isn’t nursing any physical ailment, but, for the Eagles’ veteran cornerback, the bye was like going to the nearby gas station to fuel up. Or so he hopes.
“I don’t know what else I have left in the tank but I’m trying to get there every day,” he said, as the Eagles prepare to host the New York Giants on Saturday night (8:15/FOX). “I’m trying to empty that tank. I don’t know what all is down there, but I have to go find my inner talent…I have to find my inner self.
“I’m on one of the eight teams left trying to go win the big boy, something is in there. I’m going to find out. It’s going to be good or bad.”
In the first game against the Giants – a 48-22 win - Slay had four tackles and two passes defended. In the second, he played 100% of the defensive snaps, the seventh time he had done that this year.
None of that matters to him, now.
“That’s last year’s season now and this is a new season,” he said. “Everybody has a clean slate. They’re 1-0 in my book and we’re 0-0 because we had the bye week. But they’re 1-0 technically so they’re the guys winning right now and we have to go knock them out.
“This is a whole new season. What people did during the season doesn’t matter because this is a whole new one and a very important one.”
Slay set a high bar early in the season, earning NFC Player of the Week honors after a Week 2 that saw him intercept Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins twice and break up five passes. Justin Jefferson couldn’t do much against his sticky defense.
Slay’s production seemingly dipped late in the season, a season he believes is too long with the extra game added to bring the regular season to 17.
“That extra game needs to stop,” he said. “They need to take that back. I know we get the little extra game check, but they can take that back and find a way to establish it another way because Jesus, I feel like we were playing forever.”
The veteran CB played at a high level throughout most of the year, however, earning Pro Bowl honors for the fifth time in his 10-year career and being selected first-team All-Pro in balloting done by the NFL Players Association.
The vote was done by active NFL players. Slay, center Jason Kelce, and right tackle Lane Johnson were also honored by their peers.
Slay wasn’t on The Associated Press' first or second teams, though Kelce and Johnson were on the first team.
That did not sit well with Slay.
“Yeah, that was crazy,” he said. “I thought I should’ve made that with ease, but them guys on it, they’re talented guys as well. But I felt like I was easily one of the better ones on there, but yeah, I should’ve made that easy.
“I’m on the player’s one and not the (media). I’m first on the players, we watch the film we know what’s going on that should give you a hint, hey somebody should look at tape a little more or whatever they do it. I don’t know how they do it, but I was clearly one of the best in the game this season by far.”
Now, he will try to find whatever it takes to be the best in the postseason.
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
