Darius Slayton isn’t Willie Mays.
And yet, Slayton agrees with the angry Giants fans who feel like he should’ve made the over-the-shoulder catch on what would have been a 35-yard touchdown to set up the potential game-tying touchdown catch in the third quarter of Sunday’s 29-21 loss to the Commanders.
Former teammate Antonio Hamilton knocked the ball loose from behind, which is something Mays didn’t have to deal with in the 1954 World Series.
“I expect myself to make those types of plays, but unfortunately, I didn’t today,” Slayton said. “I tracked it as best I could. It was right over my head. I got my hands on it, and I felt like as soon as I got my hands on it, he hit me. I could say I didn’t have a chance to trap the ball, but at the end of the day I have to find a way to try and make it.”
Slayton is the longest-tenured offensive player for the Giants (2019). He overcame drop issues early in his career, signed free agent extensions to become a four-time leader in season receiving yards and now has seen the drops return in a few games this season.
“Missed opportunities are killers, for sure,” Slayton said. “I just have to try to find a way to finish with the ball.”
Jaxson Dart fell on the sword for Slayton, who had a drop-plagued game against the Saints and dropped a third-down pass earlier in Sunday’s game.
“Definitely just didn’t put a good enough throw on it,” Dart said. “That wasn’t the play that was designed. It was a communication that me and him had in the huddle, just to a route off of an adjustment that we ran a few times during the game. That’s definitely one you want back.”
PR Gunner Olszewski did not clear the concussion protocol in time to play, which left the Giants without a true returner because Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Xavier Gipson were left on the practice squad.
S Jevon Holland had two punt returns for seven yards but didn’t look comfortable on the catch.
“We definitely had those conversations just late in the week where we had some position groups that we were talking about — the D-line had some sicknesses and things like that,” interim head coach Mike Kafka said of needing roster spots for other contingency plans. “We have a lot of trust in Holland to go back there and fair catch it.”
Tyrone Tracy Jr. had his first career multi-touchdown game, making a superhuman effort to get across the goal line for a 12-yard touchdown (on a surprise third-and-10 play call) as a defender latched onto his ankle at the 3-yard line. He also hauled in an 18-yard touchdown catch over future Hall of Fame linebacker Bobby Wagner’s coverage.
Jalin Hyatt made one of the hustle plays of the day.
After a pass to him was intercepted, Hyatt lay face down on the turf for a couple seconds.
Noticing that Mike Sainristil still was running with the ball, Hyatt sprang to his feet and tackled Sainristil after a 55-yard return. It might have saved a touchdown.
“Just weren’t on the same page, so we’ve got to get that corrected by reps,” Dart said. “And we will.”
