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The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles were both bounced out of the playoffs at the first hurdle, and at least one member of the New York Giants couldn’t hide his enjoyment. Wide receiver Darius Slayton took to social media to lap up the misery of his NFC East rivals during the Eagles’ 32-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday, January 15.
Slayton posted on X: “Eagles and Cowboys collapse back to back?”
The Eagles were being dumped from the Wild-Card bracket just over 24 hours after the Cowboys were humiliated by the Green Bay Packers at AT&T Stadium. A 48-32 defeat left the Cowboys one and done in the postseason for the third year running.
Slayton had no problem cheering on the Packers as they piled up the points on the road. He posted: “Go pack go.”
It makes sense for any member of the Giants to allow themselves a smile when their rivals lose big games. Yet, the hollow victory enjoyed by Slayton only underlines how the Giants underachieved this season.
They were a playoff team in 2022, but the Giants stumbled to a 6-11 finish and are already dealing with upheaval on the coaching staff. There’s also the looming spectre of two key players testing the free-agent market.
Cowboys, Eagles Were Exposed, but So Were the Giants
Although the Cowboys won six more games than the Giants during the regular season, they ultimately played just one more game than Big Blue. The humiliating setback against the Packers condemned this Cowboys team to a piece of unwanted history, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, citing ESPN Stats & Info.
It’s little wonder Slayton enjoyed what he saw. Especially since he played in both games against the Cowboys this season. Games the Giants lost by a combined scoreline of 89-17.
Those defeats highlighted why the 2023 Giants were so far off the pace. The Cowboys exploited a feeble offensive line, feasted on turnover-prone quarterbacks and got the better of an inconsistent defense.
Many of those same problems showed up when the Giants lost on the road in Philadelphia in Week 16. Head coach Brian Daboll’s team made amends two weeks later, with Slayton getting in on the act during a 27-10 victory at MetLife Stadium.
Slayton can enjoy his laugh at the Eagles’ expense, but he should be wary about gloating too much. Sport has a way of doling out karmic retribution to those who crow a little too much when they’re winning.
Just ask beleaguered Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni. As BBC Sport’s Paul Higham points out, Sirianni’s squad went 2-6 after the coach openly taunted fans of the Kansas City Chiefs following a 21-17 Eagles win in Week 11.
Slayton would be better off taking a tip from a Giants teammate when posting about the playoffs.
Saquon Barkley Had a Better Playoff Post Than Darius Slayton
The true sentiment the Giants should be feeling this postseason is regret, not enjoyment. Running back Saquon Barkley summed it up best when he posted: “Nothing like playoff football! I gotta get back!!”
Frustration has to be turned into motivation to correct the mistakes of this season and help the Giants become a playoff team again. Barkley can help, provided he’s still on the roster next season.
The two-time Pro Bowler is a pending free agent who has already warned the Giants against using the franchise tag. Barkley isn’t the only key player ready to consider his options.
Safety Xavier McKinney is also preparing to test the market. He told the New York Post’s Mark Cannizzaro, “I’m the most complete safety out there, and it’s about time for some respect to that, too.”
Losing McKinney and Barkley would be a blow, particularly when there is apparent dysfunction among Daboll and his staff. An article from Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News (h/t Empire Sports Media’s Anthony Rivardo) detailed the head coach’s spiky exchanges with now-former defensive coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale.
A lot needs to be fixed, both on the coaching and playing levels, before Slayton and the Giants have real cause to enjoy seeing their rivals struggle.
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