The New York Giants will be without starting wide receiver Darius Slayton when they face the Carolina Panthers in Germany on Sunday. Head coach Brian Daboll said at his Thursday press conference that he did not expect Slayton to make the overseas trip with the team because of where he was in the concussion protocol. The team later announced that Slayton did not join them on the flight to Munich.
Slayton suffered a concussion in last Sunday’s loss to the Eagles and the team said he would make the trip if there was a chance of clearing the protocol in time to play against the Panthers.
The Giants will also be without starting safety Jason Pinnock, who popped up on the Giants’ injury report on Thursday with an abdominal strain. He joins inside linebacker Darius Muasau (hamstring), receiver Darius Slayton (concussion), and Bryce Ford Wheaton (Achilles) as the injured players sidelined this week. Slayton and Ford-Wheaton were declared out on Friday.
Dane Belton will get the start at safety for Pinnock.
There is also optimism that both of the Giants regular kickers, placekicker Graham Gano and punter Jamie Gillan, will be able to play. Gano has been on IR since suffering a right hamstring injury on the opening kickoff Week 2 against the Washington Commanders. Gillan, a left-footed punter, has missed the last four games with a left hamstring injury.
A roster move would have to be made to activate Gano. The rest of the Giants inactive list includes guard Jake Kubas and defensive lineman Jordon Riley. Tommy DeVito is the third quarterback.
Opportunities Arise for Others
The absence of Slayton and Ford-Wheaton opens up opportunities for other receivers on the Giants' roster. The team will look to Malik Nabers, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Jalin Hyatt to fill the top three receiver roles. Jalin Hyatt, a rookie who has been struggling to get on the field this season, could see a significant increase in playing time. Hyatt has just one catch this season, and has been limited to a total of seven snaps over the past three games.
“I feel good about the game plan,” Hyatt told The Post after finding a groove with Daniel Jones during Thursday’s practice. “I haven’t had a lot of opportunities, but I haven’t made the most of my opportunities when they came this year. Right now, it’s just about taking advantage — staying focused, getting open, trusting D.J. and catching the ball.”
Hyatt was drafted by the Giants in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft after a standout junior season at Tennessee. The Giants are hoping that Hyatt can step up and provide a much-needed boost to their offense.
Evaluating Jalin Hyatt’s Impact
Hyatt’s struggles this season are a disappointment for the Giants, who traded a fourth-round pick to move up in the third to draft him. The receiver, who set college football ablaze in 2022 and showed promise as a rookie last season, has another chance Sunday to emerge from the mysterious shadows in which he has spent this season for the Giants.
By now, the speedy deep-ball threat, who was a starter when training camp opened, was expected to have at least one catch for 10 times that yardage as part of a deeper résumé.
Instead, Hyatt has played as many as 64 snaps in a game when Malik Nabers was sidelined and as few as seven total over the past three games, including zero against the Steelers on Oct. 28.
“What you don’t want to do is get worse,” Hyatt said. “How you get worse is not caring, not doing a full effort when things aren’t going your way. When I was a sophomore at Tennessee, I had given up when I didn’t play. I changed that going into my junior year, so I’ve gone through adversity before and I’m using the tools to get better when you don’t have a lot of opportunities.”
Hyatt was so good as a junior — 67 catches for 1,267 with 15 touchdowns — that he won the Biletnikoff Award for best receiver in the nation, and he had the Giants willing to trade a fourth-round pick to move up in the third to draft him. Two years later, the Giants aren’t even calling an end-around or a bubble screen to see if Hyatt’s explosiveness can awaken the NFL’s lowest-scoring offense.
He has been targeted five times on throws of 20-plus yards.
“When we talk about the game plan, we talk about putting these guys in certain spots,” offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said. “I don’t think he’s had enough opportunities to do it. Any week could present those. When they show up, I’m confident that Jalin will be able to make those plays.”
Hyatt's Role and Teammates' Support
Hyatt can’t quite put his finger on why he’s not a bigger part of the offense. The easiest explanation is that the Giants have stayed relatively healthy at receiver, so Slayton, Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinson rarely leave the field.
There was that two-game absence for Nabers, however, when Hyatt was in a similar position to now. The assignments are slightly different in Nabers’ spot in the offense than in Slayton’s.
“We’re all competitors, and I want to be out there every snap, and I believe I should be out there,” Hyatt said. “Last year, I definitely had more opportunities, and that’s why I made more plays, but every season is different. I can’t control playing time or targets. For me, doing everything the right way is how you get your opportunities … so that [coach Brian Daboll] can trust me. That’s my goal.”
Hyatt’s teammates appreciate the approach he has taken to his limited role. After all, Slayton is a free agent at the end of the season and Hyatt is signed for two more years.
“He’s always stayed locked in even when his number is not being called,” Robinson said. “He’s getting extra reps with the coaches, going over certain spots he might not even be in just in case somebody goes down. That’s a tough position to be in, so I’m sure it’s tough on him. You know when a guy is sulking, but he has been the ultimate teammate.”
That description includes working on the finer points of receiver, like releases off the line of scrimmage. Or catching passes after practice and “putting myself in uncomfortable positions on the football field.”
“What I want to do is find anything I can so I’m not out there thinking,” Hyatt said. “I’m out there looking at defenses, knowing my assignment and playing fast.”
The Giants' Game Plan and Challenges
The Giants will be looking to bounce back from their loss to the Eagles, and they will need to do so against a Panthers team that is coming off a win. The Panthers have a strong defense, and they will be looking to put pressure on Daniel Jones. The Giants will need to be able to protect Jones and find ways to move the ball down the field.
The Giants' offensive line will need to be able to handle the pressure from the Panthers' defensive line. If the Giants can protect Jones and create some big plays in the passing game, they will have a chance to win the game.
The Giants will need to be able to stop the Panthers' running game, and they will need to be able to create some turnovers. If the Giants can do these things, they will have a good chance to win the game.
It is sure to be a hard-fought game, and the Giants will need to play their best football to win.
The Giants' Road to Munich
This game marks the first time the Giants will play an NFL regular season game in Germany. The Panthers' home game was shifted from Charlotte to Munich as part of the NFL's International Series, and they will be hoping for a good turnout from the fans in Germany.
The Giants are looking to make a statement in Germany, and they will be hoping to start their European adventure off with a win.
The game will be played at the Allianz Arena, which is the home stadium of the Bundesliga team Bayern Munich.
The Giants will be looking to continue their winning ways, and they will need to play well to do so. The game will be a test for the Giants, but it will also be an opportunity for them to show the world what they are made of.
Looking Forward: A New Chapter for the Giants
This season has been a roller coaster for the Giants. They have had their share of ups and downs, and they are still trying to find their identity as a team.
The Giants are hoping to build momentum heading into the second half of the season. They need to be able to put together a string of wins, and they need to start playing consistently. If they can do that, they will be a team to watch in the NFC East.
The Giants' road to Munich will be a crucial moment in their season. They will be hoping to build momentum heading into the second half of the season. The Giants' future is uncertain, but they are hoping to make a statement in Germany and prove that they are a team to be reckoned with.
