New Orleans – The Giants took a trip to the Bayou and faced off against the Saints, ending with a 26-14 loss. Here are a few observations from the game:
1. Jackson Dart, just like last week, started strong by moving the Giants downfield in the opening series, eventually scoring with a throw to tight end Theo Johnson. However, things quickly deteriorated for Dart after that. He encountered challenges that most rookie quarterbacks face, resulting in a difficult day for him. His veteran teammates didn’t rally around him as much as they could have, and there wasn’t much explosiveness in his performance—the longest completion he had was only 18 yards. Plus, the situation with Malik Nabers being out until 2026 added to the challenge.
2. Darius Slayton didn’t really step up in this game and, with Nabers sidelined, found himself taking on the primary receiver role. The veteran, now in his seventh season, faced a tough outing. When the Giants were up 14-6, he dropped a deep ball that could’ve sealed the lead. His most notable moment came just before half-time when he made a nine-yard catch to put them in field goal range, but DeMario Davis’ efforts led to an unfortunate field goal attempt for the Saints from 27 yards. Slayton’s contributions (just 3 receptions for 31 yards) left something to be desired.
3. Pass rush? Is anyone there? The Giants’ defensive front has been hit-or-miss lately. After a decent performance the previous week, they couldn’t carry that momentum forward. Spencer Rattler wasn’t sacked at all, which seems almost unheard of. Sure, he got rid of the ball quickly at times, but still, that statistic is alarming. Out of his 30 attempts, the only pressure the Giants managed was from defensive tackle Rakim Nunes-Rocks. The key players like Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, rookie Adbourg Carter, and Dexter Lawrence didn’t make any impact. The difference between last week’s 20 pressures and this week’s single one is quite disheartening.
