NEW ORLEANS — The Giants went down to the Bayou and stunk out the joint. Here are a few takeaways from their 26-14 loss to the Saints:
1. As he did last week, Jaxson Dart marched down the field on the opening series and got the Giants in the end zone. This time around, he also did it on the second series, both times cashing in with scoring throws to tight end Theo Johnson. What looked easy in the Big Easy quickly unraveled for Dart. He ran smack into his first rookie quarterback dose of heavy-duty adversity, and it turned out to be an ugly afternoon for the youngster. He was not exactly picked up by his veteran teammates and the lack of anything remotely explosive down the field — Dart’s longest completion was just 18 yards — makes it all the more sobering that Malik Nabers isn’t coming back until 2026. He was and will be sorely missed.
2. Darius Slayton did not exactly rise to the occasion, inheriting by default the No. 1 wide receiver slot in the absence of Nabers. The respected veteran, now in his seventh season, had a rough outing. With the Giants leading 14-6, he could have put the hammer down when he dropped a deep ball that should have been caught. Slayton’s worst moment came late in the first half, when he caught a 9-yard pass to put the Giants in field goal range, but Demario Davis forced a fumble that Jonas Sanker returned 27 yards to set up a gift Saints field goal. The Giants needed more than what Slayton (three receptions for 31 yards) gave them.
3. Pass rush? Hello? Anyone home? A truly feared defensive front gets after it week after week. This bunch failed to pick up where they left off in last week’s harassment of the Chargers. Spencer Rattler was not sacked once and that is criminal. Yes, he was getting rid of the ball quickly, but not all the time. Here is the most damning stat of all: Rattler attempted 30 passes and the Giants came away with only one quarterback hit — by defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches. So, not much in the way of domination from the guys who are supposed to be making things happen — Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, rookie Adbul Carter or Dexter Lawrence. From 20 pressures last week to one this week is sad stuff.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
