As one of the most feared cornerbacks in the NFL, Detroit's Darius Slay has recently made a name for himself as a formidable defender, especially when it comes to interceptions. He's got 15 so far, but to the veteran Lion, the one he made on Sunday was probably the Holy Grail of picks. His latest came from the throwing arm of Patriots pivot Tom Brady, also known as the GOAT (Greatest OF All Time).
Naturally, Slay was like a kid in a candy store, since intercepting a pass by the New England legend is a pretty big deal, much akin to a CIA operative stealing a nuclear warhead.
“I saw that thing, I said, ‘Ooooh, I have me one,’” regaled Slay. “I was already thinking, ‘It’s from the GOAT? I get this from the GOAT?’ When he done and retired, I’m gonna keep that ball and … I’m gonna ask him to sign it. He’s the GOAT and there’s nothing like having the GOAT’s signature on your picked ball. I doubt if he’d do it, but if he do want to do it, I would gladly send it to him so he could sign that thing.”There's no word about whether Brady signed the ball after, especially after the dejected pivot threw his helmet off in frustration once he hit the sidelines. But the play itself was a thing of beauty, even though it was at the expense of the legendary pivot. With less than eight minutes remaining in the game and the hometown Lions leading the Pats 23-10, Brady and the offense were in a second-and-eight situation on their own 43-yard line.
With plenty of protection in the pocket, Brady unleashed a 35-yarder to wide receiver Phillip Dorset, who was in double coverage. Slay was step-for-step with Dorset until the ball arced downward at the 20, when the cornerback stepped in front of the wide receiver, picked off the pigskin, and ran it all the way back to the Lions 38. A Detroit field goal with less than two minutes to play sealed the win in the 26-10 final.
The pick from Tom Brady was Slay's first interception of the 2018 season. Prior to the season, nfl.com projected that Slay would lead the league in picks. That's not surprising, since Slay, who's in his sixth season with Detroit had his best year in 2017 with eight interceptions. So far, with three games in the can, the cornerback is trailing current leaders Seahawks safety Earl Thomas, Miami cornerback Xavien Howard and Panthers cornerback Donte Jackson, who each have three. But then, there are still 15 games left in the regular season.