Jones-Slayton Connection Co-Stars in Giants' Win Over Texans
The New York Giants passing game didn't contribute much to the team's 24-16 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday.
When it did contribute, it did so with a bang, specifically when quarterback Daniel Jones, who delivered one of his best performances with a career-high 153.3 passer rating, connected with receiver Darius Slayton, who finished with 95 yards on three receptions (out of four targets), to lead the team.
Jones and Slayton, of course, go back a long time. Both came from the same rookie class, and both instantly forged an on-field bond dating back to their time together at Giants rookie minicamp in 2019. While tested of late, that bond seems to have found its strength again.
Witness the 54-yard touchdown reception Slayton made on a pass thrown by Jones as he was falling to the ground, the score giving the Giants a 14-3 third-quarter lead.
“It was just a great play by him, really,” said Jones when asked about Slayton on that touchdown completion. “He lost the guy on the route. They brought pressure there, so I just tried to get it to him, and he did the rest. Heck of a play by him.”
Upon initially making the catch, it appeared that Slayton was set to pick up only a 15–20-yard gain. But once tight end Tanner Hudson stepped in with a key block on his run, Slayton knew he had a real chance to score.
“When you’re fast like me, and you tell everybody you’re fast, it goes through your mind like, ‘I can’t get caught,'" said Slayton. “I was just trying to get into the endzone.”
With the Giants short-staffed due to a banged-up receiver unit, Slayton’s production has played an increasingly bigger part in the Giants offensive success this season, something that wasn’t expected considering how his training camp fared.
Thus far, he's caught 19 passes for 327 yards, the yardage leading the Giants receivers, and his two touchdowns scored, tying him with tight end Daniel Bellinger for the team lead in that category.
After being overlooked in the first three games of the season, over his last five contests, Slayton is averaging 5.2 pass targets per game and 63.2 yards per game.
“It’s been a journey,” said Slayton. “I just try to take every day one day at a time, do my best and make plays when they come my way. That’s gotten me here, and I hope it will keep serving me well.”
Slayton is one of many players on this team that has produced unexpected positive results this season, truly emblematic of the surprising start the Giants are having. No one saw the Giants having a 7-2 record ten weeks into the regular season, and it’s something the players have embraced despite realizing the work that still needs to be done.
“I think certainly after the game, you got to enjoy the wins and reflect a little bit on where we are,’ said Jones regarding the Giants' record. “Certainly, it’s a lot better on this side of it than how we’ve been in years past. You got to enjoy that and appreciate it, but at the same time, know there’s still a lot we need to improve on. There’s a lot for us to do, especially on offense. That’s where we’re focused.”
With the Giants now 7-2 on the season, playoff contention has begun to creep into the picture despite the competitive division they are a part of. But for Jones and the Giants, it’s all about channeling their concentration toward each game as they come without getting too far ahead of themselves.
“I think we’re confident,” said Jones. “I think we’re a confident group, but we’ll continue to focus week to week on what we got to do. Try to go 1-0 each week. That’s where we are.”
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