Giants' Darius Slayton Upholds Russell Wilson After Week 1 Offensive Struggles

After the New York Giants' disappointing 21-6 loss to the Washington Commanders in Week 1, veteran wide receiver and team co-captain Darius Slayton urged patience and confidence in starting quarterback Russell Wilson despite his poor performance, which included a 45.9% completion rate and no touchdown drives. Slayton, who was targeted only once and did not catch a pass in the game, acknowledged the team's ongoing issues such as poor pass protection, lackluster red zone production, and ineffective run defense, which mirror struggles from the previous season. While some fans and analysts have called for rookie Jaxson Dart to replace Wilson, Slayton emphasized that football requires time and that immediate changes might not serve the team well, advocating to stick with Wilson as the starter. Slayton also expressed support for Dart's potential but cautioned against rushing him into a difficult situation prematurely. The Giants' coaching staff, led by Brian Daboll, has maintained confidence in Wilson for the upcoming games, focusing on addressing execution errors and penalties that derailed drives in their opener. Overall, Slayton's message was to remain calm and work through the challenges rather than panic or demand abrupt quarterback changes after just one week.