Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Birds need Slay to make a big play
PHILADELPHIA » Except for his rookie season, Eagles cornerback Darius Slay never has gone more than 11 games between interceptions.
If Big Play Slay doesn’t pick off Baker Mayfield in Cleveland Sunday, the veteran with 19 career picks with the Detroit Lions will have matched that drought in this, his eighth NFL season.
With a minus-7 turnover ratio, the Eagles (3-5-1) have an acute need for takeaways. Only the lowly Houston Texans have fewer interceptions than the Eagles, who have gotten their picks from Rodney McLeod, Jalen Mills and linebacker Alex Singleton, who took one to the house.
Slay’s lack of game-breaking plays is not what anyone expected after the Eagles secured his services by shelling out $50 million in a three-year contract extension as well as third- and fifth-round picks.
Meanwhile Sidney Jones, the second-round pick cut by the Eagles, has two interceptions and nine pass breakups in six games with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Go figure.
“My challenge, really, is staying locked in every play,” Slay said. “The game against the Giants, (for) 3 1/3 quarters I was making all the plays I need to make, being in the right position I need to be. But (the Giants’ Darius Slaton) then makes a great play, great catch. Me mis-timing the ball, now I feel like I had a bad game. I expect to make those plays. I’ve got a good thing about being a next-play mentality guy. But I was supposed to make that play.”
The play Slay surrendered was a 16-yard reception on secondand-nine to Slayton, who used his speed and his frame to get away from his defender. Daniel Jones’ completion there put Graham Gano in range for a 35-yard field goal, giving the Giants a 2417 lead with 7:45 remaining.
Slay played 69 of 71 defensive snaps, breaking up one pass and contributing two tackles. On the season he has 52 tackles and eight passes defended in nine starts.
With Odell Beckham Jr. sidelined with a knee injury, Jarvis Landry leads the Cleveland Browns, who host the Eagles on Sunday, with 36 receptions for 448 yards. Twenty of those catches have resulted in first downs, yet none in touchdowns.
Slay typically has defended the opposition’s biggest receiving threat this season. It will be interesting to see how the Eagles defend running back Kareem Hunt, who has 21 receptions, including four TDs.
“That’s a talented team and they’re good with their run game,” Slay said. “They got two great running backs that you have to prepare for. Without OB, that’s a special talent, that’s a guy that can really stretch the field, that can really do everything you need a receiver to do. Without him, I don’t care who or what team you’re on, that’s a decline in your receiving room and your pass game. You’ve got to find a way to replace that, which is hard to do. Other than that they’re still a great team, still a solid team, offense still moving the ball. You can see that Nick Chubb and them are ready to tote the load if they have to. You’ve just got to be prepared for everything.”
The Eagles (3-5-1) lead the NFC East by percentage points, although they’re just 1-2 in the division compared to 2-1 for the Giants (3-7), and the Birds’ schedule turns tough this weekend.
The Browns are the first of five straight winning teams ahead for the Eagles, who hope to welcome back tight end Zach Ertz and guard Isaac Seumalo this weekend.
A victory would serve as a springboard for Slay and a defense that hasn’t lived up to its billing.
Slay exited the Lions, who took him off the board in the second round of the 2013 draft, partly to escape the agony of back-to-back losing seasons under head coach Matt Patricia.
The last thing Slay anticipated was the Eagles checking in at this point with fewer wins than the Lions (4-5).
“That’s a tough one,” Slay said, “(but) we’ve got plenty of games left so it could still flip around. That’s all we’re going to do, continue working, come to work and get this change going.”