The NY Giants improved their record to 3-1 with a 20-12 victory vs the Chicago Bears. Conditions were not favorable on Sunday with rain and wind playing a factor for most of the game. Despite injuries for the Giants late in the game, the team was still able to edge out a win. With Sunday’s win, Brian Daboll is the first first-year Giants coach to start a season 3-1 since Tom Coughlin in 2004. Not bad company for Daboll to be in at all.
Despite the 3-1 start, NY has still been dealing with inconsistency on the field. Injuries have played a factor in why the offense has been slow at certain times. That does not, however, make up for how bad some have been. Next, we’ll look at three players who still aren’t getting the job done for the NY Giants.
3. WR Darius Slayton
Easily the biggest disappointment for the Giants so far this season has been the inconsistency of their WRs. It’s been a combination of injuries and a lack of production. A player who has not even scratched his true potential is fourth-year pro Darius Slayton. He jumped on the scene with Daniel Jones in 2019 as a rookie, and his production has decreased each season. Giants fans know the real Slayton is in there somewhere.
Last season is where we really saw Slayton’s production in the offense drop, and it may not have been his fault completely. In 2021 he saw his targets drop from 96 in 2020, to 58. His yards also dropped from 700 or better in 2019 and 2020, to 339 in 2021. We can’t forget that Jones was injured for the last six games of the season. That didn’t help Slayton’s case.
The start to 2022 has been slow to say the least. Through three games this season he has two targets for one catch and 11 yards receiving. Slayton had a huge drop vs. Chicago that was bailed out on a DPI call. He dropped a pass that hit him in his hands. With injuries still lingering for the Giants WRs, Slayton could still see some playing time in future games. However, he’s got to pick up his level of play.