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Losses and embarrassment continue to mount for Pat Shurmur, Giants

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Apparently it can get worse for the New York Giants.

They didn't just lose another game on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium. They lost to the crosstown rival New York Jets, 34-27.

That never goes over well with the suits at the top of the organization. The bad blood is real.

That doesn't even take into account that this was a Jets offense that was averaging 12.0 points per game entering Sunday. The Jets scored 27 (seven came courtesy of a defensive touchdown) against a woeful Giants defense devoid of any significant talent.

Still, this was next level. All it does is increase the heat on Giants general manager Dave Gettleman for assembling this mess of a roster that might not even match last year's five-win total.

The Giants (2-8) have now dropped six straight. It adds to the finger-pointing at head coach Pat Shurmur for his inability to get star running back Saquon Barkley going (13 rushes for one yard) and defensive coordinator James Bettcher for failing to find a way to get his unit of lost rookies and toasted vets to look competent.

The Giants now enter their bye week in contention for a top-five pick in next year's draft and wondering what, if anything, might come as a result of their most recent failures.

Rookie quarterback Daniel Jones, who threw four touchdown passes for the second time this season -- just the fifth rookie in history to accomplish the feat -- is one of their few reasons for hope. Jones finished 26-of-40 passing for 308 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions.

Shurmur was asked this week how he was handling five straight losses. He claimed to be "built for this" and said he believed the Giants were on the right path, just a few plays from getting over the top.

It's going to be hard for management to believe after they watched the Giants lose Sunday to the lowly Jets. Yes, this season has turned into an embarrassment. Sunday was just the latest embarrassment.

Silver lining: The Giants appear to have found something with fifth-round pick Darius Slayton. The receiver caught a pair of touchdown passes in the first half and now has five this season.

Slayton, who was uncoverable for a struggling Jets secondary for most of the afternoon, finished with 10 catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns. He also became just the third first-year player with the Giants -- joining Odell Beckham Jr. and Don Hermann -- with at least two games with multiple receiving TDs since 1950.

Players with 2 receiving TDs in multiple games this season (per ESPN Stats & Information as of Sunday afternoon):

Mike Evans (Bucs)

Chris Godwin (Bucs)

Kenny Golladay (Lions)

Darren Fells (Texans)

Darius Slayton (Giants)

Eye-popping NextGen Stat: 20.88 miles per hour by Golden Tate

The playmaking wide receiver hit that top speed on his 61-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter. It was the second-fastest time recorded by a Giants ball carrier this season, with only Barkley doing better in the opener against the Dallas Cowboys.

Tate's touchdown was a gigantic play in the game. With the Giants trailing 21-13 early in the third quarter, he caught a screen pass near the right sideline and sprinted through a tackle downfield. The Jets had no chance to catch him at that speed. It was the first of two touchdowns for Tate.