Giants' Week 7 Moment That Hopefully Sets the Tone for Rest of Season

Daniel Jones has been slowly coming of age as an NFL quarterback every week this season. But last week there was one moment that underscores just how the quarterback has found his footing.

The Giants defied the odds and found another way to pull a victory out in a close game. That has become the modus operandi for head coach Brian Daboll and his bunch:

• Bend, but don’t break on defense.
• Take what the defense gives you on offense.
• Don’t make the mistakes that cost them the game.

While things have not been perfect, just like in the previous games, the Giants were able to find a way to come out victorious. And it never hurts when your quarterback and running back both eclipse 100 yards rushing.

But one moment in the Giants' 23-17 victory in Jacksonville stood out to us for multiple reasons.

Oct 23, 2022; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) looks to throw a pass against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first quarter at TIAA Bank Field / Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

 2nd-&-14, JAX32:  Jones to Slayton, Opening Drive TD

This moment probably mattered to more than just this game. Yes, it was a touchdown, and those are difficult to come by regularly. Yes, it was a touchdown pass, and they are not in abundance, either. 

The fact that it is a touchdown pass from Daniel Jones to Darius Slayton is significant. When the Giants selected Jones in the first round with the sixth overall pick, they believed they had found their franchise quarterback. At the end of the fifth round, they took a receiver they hoped they could pair with Jones, Darius Slayton.

In the first season, it looked like a perfect pairing. They linked up 48 times for 740 yards. Slayton was able to reach the end zone eight times that season. In Year 2, their connection continued. Slayton’s second season saw him haul 50 of Jones's passes for 751 yards and three touchdowns. 

This seemed like they could form as potent a quarterback-receiver combo as any other team in the league. Many factors went into the deterioration of both players' games; some were self-inflicted, and others were from outside factors. Both players were destroyed by fans who felt it was time to move on and blow the entire roster up.

While Jones worked through his issues while still competing, Slayton began to disappear, and his work ethic and desire were questioned as he watched from the bench.

Week after week, more receivers continued to be injured. There is an argument that if a few receivers stayed healthy during camp, Slayton would already be on another team this season. 

When it was finally Slayton’s turn because the offensive coaching staff had no one else to turn to, he began showing up regularly. The first sign was his 79-yard performance against Green Bay. He made a few big catches and looked explosive. Jones targeted Slayton seven times, and Slayton was able to haul in six.

After his first season with the Giants, fans believed that they found the guy in Jones that could replace Eli Manning. But, with a coaching change and an offense that never truly fit his skillset. He spent the next two seasons looking lost and trying to live up to his first-season hype. 

The Giants offense and, more specifically, the passing game, mainly the receivers, suffered because of it. I always believed that Jones' best opportunity for success was to lean into his athleticism. 

The problem over the first three seasons was that he didn't understand how to protect himself when he ran. He suffered a few injuries that cost him games over the past three seasons. 

This season he has excelled at managing time and situations. He has made timely throws and has kept the ball out of peril. More important to this offense is that he has turned his legs into a weapon.

So for all these two have endured over the first three seasons of their careers, to see them linking back up has to be a good sign for the Giants offense. It is almost poetic that their first throw was on the first play of this opening drive, and it was an incompletion. 

Eight plays later, the Giants were sitting on the Jaguars 32-yard line second and 14 after a run by Barkley went for negative four yards. Jones received great blocking up front and delivered a great pass that Slayton could jump up and pluck the ball out of the air for the touchdown. It felt like 2019 all over again. 

The catch set the tone for the game and, hopefully, the rest of the year. Jones would go on to target Slayton six times in the game. He finished with a team-high 58 yards on three catches.

The #Giants started their opening drive with a Jones incompletion to Slayton and ended it with a Touchdown pass to Slayton. Gives you 2019 vibes. #TogetherBlue pic.twitter.com/S5bN22nVgN

— Coach Gene Clemons (@geneclemons) October 27, 2022

This combination was not only important in this game against Jacksonville, but it was also important in their win over Green Bay. 

The sustainability of that connection could be the answer the Giants are looking for in the secondary since the salary cap leaves them limited on the moves they can make in the trade market or even in free agency. 

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