Takeaways from the Giants’ 29-21 loss to the Commanders on Sunday:
1. Does Jaxson Dart look like the same quarterback to you? He was brutal in the first half and displayed none of the dynamic brashness he displayed before he missed two games on concussion protocol. He looked like a rookie with some indecision in the pocket, seemingly not sure when to chuck it and when to tuck it. When he scrambled in the second half, he did avoid unnecessary contact by sliding or driving instead of challenging defenders for an extra yard or two. He made some better throws. But it sure looks as if all the slop around him has taken some of the sting out of his stinger.
2. Before this, the last time the Giants were favored in a game was Week 10 last season — the infamous overtime loss to the Panthers in Daniel Jones’ final action in a Giants uniform. But how about this? The last time the Giants were favored and actually won the game was early in the 2023 season — Week 2, to be exact — when they were behind 20-0 at halftime and came back to beat the Cardinals 31-28 in Glendale, Ariz. Of course, the Giants, as a two-point favorite in this game, stumbled and bumbled to an eighth consecutive loss. Will they be favored against the Raiders in Las Vegas two weeks from now? Stay tuned.
3. Darius Slayton is the longest-tenured player on offense — he arrived in the 2019 NFL Draft, as did nose tackle Dexter Lawrence on defense. Slayton is what he is and often does just enough to break your heart, if you are pulling for the Giants. He certainly is a capable wide receiver, but when it comes time to make a difference with a play his team absolutely must have, he too frequently comes up short. What should have been a 35-yard touchdown hookup with Dart never happened because the ball fell through Slayton’s outstretched hands. Easy catch? No sir. A catch a $12 million-a-year player needs to make? Yes, indeed.
