The New York Giants’ Wild Card playoff game versus the Minnesota Vikings last season could have been a runaway win late in the fourth quarter had wide receiver Darius Slayton held on to the ball on a key third-and-15.
But he did not, which made things more interesting.
The drop could have been more costly than it turned out to be, but the Giants’ defense stopped the Vikings on their final drive to seal a 31-24 victory. That was no solace to Slayton, though, whose teammates and coaches consoled him, even in victory.
The Giants did not hold that drop — or any of his other dropped passes — against him, as they re-signed the fifth-year veteran to a new two-year, $12 million deal this offseason.
Darius Slayton with a HUGE droppic.twitter.com/iyMHNraURb
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) January 16, 2023
This week, Slayton revealed he’s been working on securing the football better this offseason, and used an unusual training method to help do so.
Slayton worked hard at that this offseason, while training with his personal coach, Drew Lieberman, a former Rutgers and Don Bosco Prep assistant.
Slayton’s big focus was hand placement on his catches. And he caught dozens of tennis ball tosses from Lieberman, as he concentrated on keeping his hands closer together while reaching up to receive the ball. That’s been an issue for Slayton at times — having his hands too far apart.
“A lot people you see catch tennis balls with one [hand],” Slayton said. “But if you catch a tennis ball with two hands, it’s impossible to catch if your hands are any type of wide. They have to be overly close.”
According to Pro Football Focus, Slayton has the highest drop percentage of any receiver in the league over the past two seasons.
This season the Giants are going to open up the offense a bit, something that excites Slayton, who has 15 yards per reception over his four-year career, which is among the highest in the NFL among active players.
Slayton wants to be a big-play receiver and even showed his prowess this week by making a nice diving catch on a Daniel Jones pass down the sideline.
“If you get an opportunity down the field, be conscious of being aggressive to go make the play and for the quarterbacks, when the opportunity presents itself, being aggressive and taking those chances.”
And don’t forget to keep those hands together.
