Dane Belton Steps Up for Giants vs. Rams

Belton had a big afternoon despite the team's loss against the Los Angeles Rams.

New York Giants safety Dane Belton hasn't had many opportunities to shine, but when his number was called during the team's 26-25 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Belton was right there to step in a big way.  

Belton entered the game after starter Jason Pinnock suffered a foot injury. Belton picked off two Matthew Stafford passes and recovered a Demarcus Robinson fumble, capping an impressive showing in a losing team effort.  

"I just want to take advantage of my opportunities whenever they come. I feel like I want to stay ready no matter what. I feel that I know that I can play at this level in this league and be successful. When I have my opportunities, it's just about going out there and showing them."

Taking advantage is exactly what Belton did. This year has been different for the young defensive back, not playing nearly as much as he did last season. He's played in only 185 (19%) of the defensive snaps in 2023, with his role transitioning to mainly special teams. With Xavier McKinney, who hasn't missed a single snap this season, and Jason Pinnock holding down the back of the secondary, Belton hasn't had many opportunities to flourish. He understands the reason but has always been prepared for a moment like this one.

"It has been tough knowing that. As I said, I know that I can play at this level. It's nothing against those guys that are coaching [the Giants coaching staff] or anything, it's just the opportunities. It has been tough this year knowing that I can go out there and help the team, but at the same time, it's a game plan, and they will put the best plan out there. Like I said, I'm just staying ready. It's tough mentally, but that's what we do as professionals: being able to go to practice every day, practice hard, and work on things that you need to work on, and just when the opportunity comes, you take advantage of it."

Despite his career day, Belton's more worried about the loss. It hasn't been a fun year for the Giants, as they fell to 5-11 on the season after losing to the Rams. Certainly a step down from their playoff win just 11 months prior, this is a learning experience for many young players, Belton included. The Giants had chances to win this game but unfortunately couldn't come out with the victory.

"That's what I'm thinking about. It would've been awesome to finish it off with a win. That's what we want to do; we want to win every time we get a chance to. It's nice to have good player stats, but at the end of the day, a win is what we are looking for. We have one more opportunity, and we will go out next week [against the Philadelphia Eagles] and try to take advantage of it."

The Giants host Philadelphia for the final game of the season next week. They played the Eagles well on Christmas Day, mounting a comeback that ultimately fell short. The Eagles lost to the Cardinals 35-31 and haven't looked like the dominant team they were last season. With two close losses, the Giants must believe they can take one from their bitter division rival to close the season.

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