Darius Slay has been lobbying hard for offensive snaps all year. His constant badgering finally paid off when Nick Sirianni threw him on the field for a crucial 3rd-and-2 right before halftime. Slay was a decoy on the play, but his presence was felt.
“He goes by Slay. Big Play Slay,” Sirianni said of the move.
It’s tough to gauge how much Slay impacted the drive, if he did at all. The FOX broadcast team definitely thought he did and mentioned it multiple times. The Pro Bowl cornerback lined up on the right hash, then raced in between Jason Kelce and Jalen Hurts. Slay looped around Miles Sanders and split out as a wide receiver. He was open for a brief second before Washington cornerback Danny Johnson picked him up.
“I think it was pretty good, just moving around in the offense,” Greg Ward said of Slay. “He’s definitely going to create distractions so, you know, we were able to make some plays.”
The play was a brilliant design, although Slay was never going to get the ball. He was strictly a decoy as Sanders plowed ahead for a 10-yard gain to set up a first-and-goal at the Washington four-yard line. Two plays later, Hurts scored a touchdown.
“I don’t know how much he impacted [the play],” Hurts said. “I hope he did a little something. He didn’t get the ball, but maybe he’ll get the ball next week.”
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Sirianni Joked About Using Slay Earlier
The whole discussion about Slay taking a turn on offense began when DeVonta Smith challenged him. The two competitors swapped positions at practice – Smith moved to cornerback and Slay moved to receiver – to settle which one was the more dynamic player. Smith won the battle posted on social media, although Slay said he won in unreleased footage.
Either way, Sirianni went on record at the time saying he would consider putting Slay out there on offense. The fleet-footed cornerback does have three touchdowns this season, including two fumble returns and a pick-six.
“What I’m seeing with the 11 games I have been with him is like, ‘Man, he’s really good with that football in his hands,’” Sirianni told reporters on November 22. “He gets that football in his hands, he can go.’ And so, that makes me think maybe I got to get him a couple reps on offense and get him some touches.”
Eagles Enjoying Casual Practice Week
The league’s unpopular decision to postpone the Washington-Philadelphia game threw the weekly schedule into disarray. Factor in the upcoming Christmas holiday and Week 16 preparations should be more relaxed than usual.
Sirianni said he would have the guys come into the weight room on Wednesday for a lift, but he would keep it light the rest of the week. He stressed the importance of players getting a “mental break” as well as enjoying Christmas with their families.
“They just need a mental break from us. It’s been a long week, as you guys can imagine,” Sirianni said. “I’ve always been brought up, God, family, football and so with Christmas coming up, we have work to do, and we’ve got to get all our work done.”
Eagles Players Hilariously React to Darius Slay’s Decoy Snap