Giants’ Darius Slayton Struggles in Seventh Season
CHICAGO — Darius Slayton’s time with the Giants hasn’t unfolded as he had hoped following news in March that he would stick around on a three-year, $36 million deal. This season has been particularly challenging for him.
Now in his seventh year with the team that drafted him in the fifth round in 2019, Slayton finds himself as the longest-tenured player on the offensive line. In the season opener against Washington, he played 66 snaps but failed to make a single catch.
Things haven’t improved much since then. He had a critical fumble in the loss to New Orleans and fumbled a touchdown reception in last week’s defeat to the 49ers, which ended with a 34-24 score.
Before facing the Bears, Slayton’s stats included 19 catches for 254 yards and no touchdowns over seven games. Meanwhile, Malik Nabors, recovering from an ACL tear in Week 4, has yet to find his rhythm.
“I have tremendous confidence in Slay and what he does in the passing game, in the run game, as a leader, as a team captain, in the meeting room, everything,” said offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. “We’re in the middle of this season and have a lot left, so we’re excited.”
This Sunday’s game could be affected significantly by the weather in Chicago. The forecast is predicting a low of 26 degrees and a high of 36 degrees, with snow showers and winds ranging from 25 to 35 mph, possibly even higher.
Jackson Dart will face the Giants in his first “weather game,” but it’s not his first experience with difficult conditions. “I’m from Utah. I played four seasons there, including high school games in the snow and wind,” he mentioned. “Dealing with adverse weather is something I’m used to. Adjustments are necessary, but I think I’ve gained a lot of experience from it.”
The Giants made roster adjustments on Saturday, preparing for the match against the Bears. K Yonghoe Koo and WR RayRay McLeod have been promoted from the practice squad. Koo, 31, is stepping in for Graham Gano, who is sidelined with a neck injury. The veteran kicker has an 85.8 percent success rate but was recently waived by the Falcons.
As part of these changes, LB Darius Muasau and WR Beau Collins have been placed on injured reserve, meaning they will miss the next four games. Additionally, LBs Tomon Fox and Zaire Barnes have been added to the active roster.
On a positive note, the Giants will have one of their starting cornerbacks back as Cordale Flott returns after recovering from a concussion. However, Paulson Adebo will miss his third straight game due to a knee injury.
