After two weeks in the Jaxson Dart era, the New York Giants are 1-1. After a Week 4 win, the Giants dropped their Week 5 matchup, 26-14, against the New Orleans Saints.
Entering Week 6, Dart now faces a very difficult stretch of the season. Sitting at 1-4, the Giants host the Eagles on Thursday night before facing the Denver Broncos and Philadelphia on the road over the next three weeks. Their remaining 12 games include nine that are against teams with current records over .500, including four matchups against current division leaders (Detroit, San Francisco, Philadelphia twice).
The Giants’ record at the end of the season may not be an accurate depiction of Dart’s rookie season. Even if the team struggles to end the year, Dart can still put together a successful campaign if three things happen.
Limiting turnovers
Turnovers lost the game for the Giants on Sunday. Dart threw two interceptions and fumbled once. WR Darius Slayton and RB Cam Skattebo also lost fumbles.
The problem for the Giants was that their offense was still able to move the ball but was unable to come up with points. Drives of 41, 55 and 47 yards all ended in turnovers. After scoring two touchdowns to start the game, the Giants offense ended each possession as follows: punt, punt, fumble, fumble, fumble return for a TD, interception, interception, turnover on downs.
Without the turnovers, the Giants would have scored more points. If the New York offense as a whole can limit those costly mistakes, it may have a more competitive season than was originally thought.
Putting together a complete 60 minutes
Despite the turnovers, Dart looked better in his second start. He looked more comfortable throwing the ball as he nearly doubled the amount of attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns compared to his first start.
Sunday had positive takeaways. There were moments, especially early in the game, that made the New York offense look somewhat competent. That competence can be directly attributed to the athleticism from Dart.
The Giants scored touchdowns on their first two possessions, their only points of the game. On those drives, Dart played well, completing eight of nine passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns, adding 27 yards on the ground.
The negative takeaway was the turnover-filled second half. Where Dart can improve is to try to play mistake-free football for 60 minutes and play with consistency. As long as opposing offenses aren’t being handed extra opportunities, the New York defense is competitive enough to keep this team in games.
Staying healthy and eliminating unnecessary hits
Most times when a rookie quarterback is being hit too much, it’s a result of a sack. In the case of Dart, the hits he suffers are during his rushing attempts.
A vital component of his game, Dart has rushed the ball 17 times in his two starts for 109 yards with one score and one fumble. Of his seven rushes Sunday, only two were designed runs, compared to Week 4, where seven of his 10 rushes were designed.
Regardless of whether Dart is scrambling or it’s a designed run, the rushing work is what’s helped when he’s had success. The key for him is knowing when to push for extra yardage and when to slide. On multiple occasions in both the preseason and regular season, Dart has thrown his body into unnecessary contact rather than safely sliding.
The health of Dart this season will be the most important feature of his success, and he must aim to avoid taking extra hits. The longer Dart can stay on the field, the more experience he’ll get, which will help in his long-term development.
