Don't tell anyone inside of the NY Giants locker room that this was a meaningless game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite the G-Men entering the contest with a 5-11 record and being eliminated from postseason contention, the guys in blue came out with passion and FIRE.
The same can't be said for the Eagles, who were embarrassed by the G-Men at MetLife Stadium in the 27-10 victory for the home team. Who in the heck saw that kind of a performance coming? We've got our takeaways from the action, as Big Blue was able to end the season on a high note by taking it to their NFC East rivals.
4. The Eagles should be ashamed of themselves for that showing
It's hard to believe that the Eagles had a chance to win the NFC East on Sunday. Yes, they needed the Commanders to upset the Cowboys, but Philly still needed to come out with some energy and put themselves in a position to try and win the division. Instead, the Eagles laid a massive egg and the Giants dominated.
You would have thought that Philly was the team with the 5-11 record and not the Giants. Leading up to kickoff, Nick Sirianni and Co. were dealing with plenty of injuries and things got even worse for them when A.J. Brown went down with a serious-looking knee injury early on. However, the Eagles came out flat and the Giants kept on landing punch after punch on them.
Jalen Hurts and the offense couldn't do much of anything - it got to the point where Hurts was sent to the bench late in the first half. Once this happened, Sirianni was throwing in the towel on the game and the division. Now, the Eagles will head to Tampa Bay as the No. 5 seed for the NFC Wild Card Round. After how they looked at MetLife, though, no one should feel confident in the Eagles to move on to the Divisional Round. This squad just looks lost right now.
3. The Giants have to get things done with Saquon Barkley this offseason
On Sunday, there was a ton of speculation that this could be the final game with the Giants for running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley and general manager Joe Schoen haven't been able to get a long-term extension done and the door is certainly open for NY to let him walk in the coming months. However, that just can't happen.
No. 26 continued to prove his worth for this offense against the Eagles, While Barkley wasn't able to find a ton of running room (you can probably already guess why), that didn't stop him from scoring two touchdowns in the first half. Through the air, Barkley caught two balls for 51 yards. When Barkley has the ball in his hands, good things usually happen for this offense:
Saquon Barkley puts it in for his 2nd touchdown of the day pic.twitter.com/tQw7Q1c8s4
— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) January 7, 2024
Injuries have been an issue for Barkley throughout his Giants career, including him missing multiple games early on this campaign due to a high-ankle sprain. With that said, he's simply too valuable for the offense and he needs to be back in town next campaign. Schoen needs to add more offensive playmakers this offseason, but having Barkley as part of the long-term plans has to be a priority for him. Make sure this guy doesn't sign elsewhere in free agency. Keep him home.
2. Wan'Dale Robinson has exciting potential for this team
One of the main takeaways from the final stretch of the season has been how impressive Wan'Dale Robinson has looked. Because of his fantastic speed, Robinson is shifty after the catch and he's tough to bring down. Against the Eagles, he was the top target for quarterback Tyrod Taylor, which was fantastic to see.
On the day, Robinson posted five receptions for 85 yards. The yards were a season high for him. In the Monday Night Football win over the Packers on Dec. 11, Robinson really turned heads with his six receptions for 79 yards. The second-year speedster must be a focal point for the offense in 2024. It doesn't matter if Mike Kafka is calling the plays or someone else is: feed Robinson.
Tyrod Taylor to Wan’Dale Robinson for 33 yards pic.twitter.com/5k7fXjruOn
— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) January 7, 2024
The Giants need to bring in some new pass-catchers for 2024, but Robinson, Jalin Hyatt and Darius Slayton figure to be key for this team moving forward. Darren Waller unfortunately can't seem to stay healthy and he didn't live up to the hype this year. However, we expect Schoen to improve the aerial attack this offseason. Fortunately, it feels like he's got a standout in the making with Robinson.
1. Darius Slayton made some serious dough with his strong showing
Quietly, Slayton had himself another great season for the Giants, once again leading the team in receiving yards. Slayton also has to be feeling pretty amazing after the win, as he's going to receive a nice deposit into his checking account pretty soon. That's because Slayton hit a pair of incentives in his contract against Philly.
Through the first 16 games of the year, Slayton posted 45 catches for 708 yards. According to The Athletic's Dan Duggan, Slayton had a $100,000 incentive to finish with 50-59 receptions. He also had another $100,000 on the line if he reached between 750-874 yards. With Slayton catching five balls for 62 yards and a touchdown, his showing earned him a cool $200,000.
Don't tell these players today's game is meaningless. Here's a look at incentives on the line for a few Giants today:
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) January 7, 2024
• WR Darius Slayton: He has 45 catches. He'll earn $100K if he finishes with 50-59 catches. He has 708 receiving yards. He'll earn $100K if he finishes with…
Prior to the 2023 season getting here, Schoen inked Slayton to a new two-year deal. There was worry that he'd join a new team, but the front office was able to keep him around and he sure looked solid for this offense in '23. Slayton isn't expected to be a WR1, but he's definitely a fantastic WR2. Props to him for having a nice day and cashing in on two incentives in the process.