Inside Russell Wilson’s signature Giants ‘Moon Ball’

You can understand if head coach Brian Daboll, play-caller Mike Kafka and the Giants receivers are thanking their lucky stars for Russell Wilson’s “Moon Ball.” 

The Giants have ranked last in the NFL in completions of 20 yards or longer in two of the past three seasons, and former quarterback Daniel Jones’ repeated unwillingness to vertically test defenses rankled the aggressive-minded Daboll. 

Enter Wilson, who threw deep on 13.1 percent of his attempts — the sixth-highest rate in the NFL — for the Steelers last season, per NextGenStats. His high-arching Moon Ball has been his calling card over a Hall of Fame-caliber career, which begins Year 14 on Sunday against the Commanders. 

“It’s like catching a beach ball,” receiver Darius Slayton said. “It feels like you can’t miss because wherever you’re running, it doesn’t feel like you’re running to the ball, it feels like the ball is flying to you, if that makes sense. You just run and kind of ‘poof!’ right there, so it’s pretty nice.”