‘We’ve got to grow up’ – Giants leaders deliver powerful message to the team following devastating Week 2 loss to the Cowboys
Darius Slayton and Kayvon Thibodeaux share important message for their teammates following the New York Giants Week 2 loss
The New York Giants’ loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2 was absolutely gut-wrenching. In a game where the team took many promising steps forward, it was held back by egregious self-inflicted and avoidable errors.
With the team hurting after the 40-37 overtime loss, veterans Darius Slayton and Kayvon Thibodeaux
shared a similar message that the team must rally together after its 0-2 loss. More importantly, Thibodeaux didn’t mince words after the game.
“We’ve got to stop making mistakes. We’ve got to grow up,” Thibodeaux said following the loss.
Darius Slayton and Kayvon Thibodeaux preach unity
If you didn’t see the final score and only looked at the stats, you’d assume the Giants played their best game under Brian Daboll and won confidently. Russell Wilson went back in time, throwing for 450 yards and three touchdowns. Malik Nabers finished with 167 yards and two scores; his counterpart, Wan’Dale Robinson, had 142 yards and one touchdown. Additionally, Brian Burns totalled two TFLs and one sack.
Despite the miraculous individual performances, they didn’t play well enough as a team to win. The Giants lost today due to multiple errors in areas where they need to improve. They finished with 160 penalty yards, had multiple coverage lapses, and essentially lost because of a late turnover by Wilson.
As a 2025 team captain, Slayton emphasized that individual performances are meaningless if the team doesn’t improve as a unit.
“We had a lot of quality individual performances today,” Slayton told reporters. “But the reality is, it wasn’t enough. Nobody did enough today because we lost.”
Slayton had a solid game against Dallas, finishing with 61 yards and two receptions. His overall message is critical for the Giants if they want to bounce back from this brutal 0-2 start. A common trope in football is that you’re only as strong as your weakest link. Today was a perfect example of that.
Thibodeaux notched his first sack of the 2025 season in a game where the pass rushers dominated. However, his position group’s effectiveness was hindered by mistakes from defensive backs and interior defensive linemen. The Giants surrendered 361 yards passing and 135 yards rushing. He had a similar statement to Slayton’s, which was about needing to come together.
“You’ve got to be strong,” Thibodeaux said to the media. “You’ve got to have leaders, you’ve got to have followers, you’ve got to have supporters, you’ve got to have people who are down for the cause. I believe in our leaders and I believe in our support players.”
If there is a game that could serve as an early wake-up call, this should be it. There was a lot of evidence to show the Giants’ defense can dominate, and their receivers can stress their opponents. If they can look in the mirror and take full accountability, then there’s a chance to get back on track. It all comes down to whether they unify after this loss.
New York Giants News
Similar problems cost the Giants a game they should have won vs. the Dallas Cowboys – Key takeaways from Week 2
The New York Giants can’t get out of their own way, as they lose to the Dallas Cowboys 40-37 in Week 2.
