Darius Slay has made plenty of big plays for the Eagles. But in the final minute of Monday Night Football, with Peyton and Eli Manning and millions of others watching, Slay gave up the big play to Kirk Cousins and Drake London. Final score: Atlanta 22, Philadelphia 21.
“That’s on me. I owe you one,” Slay tweeted after the game, shortly after congratulating London at midfield. London’s fake to the post turned into a perfectly timed out route to the pylon, and turned into a moment of humility for Slay.
“Good route. Good route,” he told the Falcons’ third-year wide receiver.
While the Eagles allowed a few other big plays before Cousins hit London on that game-winning touchdown, Philadelphia continued a disturbing trend. The loss marked the Eagles’ fourth in which they held a lead in the final two minutes since the beginning of last year.
The Eagles, who this past offseason hired Vic Fangio to head their defense, answered Cousins and the Falcons blow for blow during a game that featured six lead changes.
But Philadelphia’s offense was not blameless. On the series before Cousins engineered the game-winning touchdown, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley dropped a pass that would’ve converted third-and-3 with 1:46 left. Instead of an opportunity to run out the clock, the Eagles had to settle for a 28-yard Jake Elliott field goal and give Atlanta the ball with plenty of time remaining.
“I dropped the ball, let my team down today. Shouldn’t have put the defense in that position, make that catch, and the game’s over,” Barkley said, via PhiladelphiaEagles.com.
“I could sit here and complain and be upset about it or I could be a professional athlete and go back to the drawing boards and take the lick and move on and get better from it. I’ve made that play multiple times. I’ve missed that play before, too, meaning the situation. It happens. It’s part of the game. I’ve just got to be better. I let my team down. I’ve got to man up to it. I got to own, which I’m doing. Got to promise those guys in this locker room that I’ll be better for them.”