How good was Giants QB Jaxson Dart in Week 1? The numbers show potential for a second-year leap.
Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart after a game against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. Credit: Ed Murray
One game wasn’t going to prove Jaxson Dart was ready or not to make a second-year leap. But Sunday night’s win was a pretty good audition for what he can become.
Dart answered the call with an efficient, mature performance that ranks among the best of his young career. It wasn’t just the sterling, career-best passer rating (134.2) or his raw numbers. It was how Dart looked beyond the impressive stats.
There were no reckless runs seeking contact. Dart stayed on script and made the right play even if it didn’t go for big yards. His longest completion was 19 yards but the Giants had three scoring drives that went over six minutes and ended with touchdowns.
It meant Dart did the simple things well while making few mistakes. It’s boring to some, but that’s a hallmark of growth needed in his first full season as a starting quarterback
“I thought his accuracy was really good,” coach John Harbaugh said. “The rhythm passing, getting the ball out on time, was really good in critical situations, especially when we needed to convert against man or zone. But numerous time against zone, he was able to put the ball right where it needed to be, right on time.
Dart completed a career-high 79.3% of his passes Sunday in going 23-for-29 with a career-high tying three touchdown passes. He outdueled Dak Prescott, who had dominated the Giants for the last 10 years. He showed patience in deciding when to run while also protecting himself and not seeking unnecessary contact.
Much was made about Dart changing offenses. As a rookie, Dart played in a system that utilized familiar concepts from his time at Ole Miss. This system overseen by offensive coordinator by Matt Nagy was more complex. More snaps under center and adjustments at that line of scrimmage.
Dart handled it with ease. According to Doug Analytics, an analytics site, he averaged 2.64 seconds from snap to pass, better than the NFL average last season of 2.86 seconds according to Pro Football Focus.
The sack he took in the second quarter was a rare error. Dart didn’t get rid of the ball quick enough and Cowboys rookie safety Caleb Downs made him pay with a blitz that leveled Dart. Yet for the most part, Dart showed command and sound decision making all night.
He credited the extra hours this offseason trying to master Nagy’s offense.
“They wanted to see how much we can handle on our plate and I wanted to take it upon myself to do as much as I can, even though it was maybe tough,” Dart said of the Giants’ offensive coaches. “But I felt like it was the best thing for our team to be successful.”
It paid off. Consider these three additional stats from his night.
- Dart was the second player in NFL history with at least three passing touchdowns, zero interceptions, over 50 rushing yards and a completion percentage above 75% in Week One. Jalen Hurts did it in 2021.
- Dart was 17-19 for 200 yards with two touchdowns against four or fewer pass rushers via Next Gen Stats. He was efficient when the Cowboys brought pressure,
- On third downs, Dart was 7-for-7 for 87 yards and a touchdown. Five of those passes went for completions of at least 12 yards. Credit the receivers getting open but credit Dart pushing the ball downfield to find open targets.
“He played terrific. I came at him in the third quarter, I was like ‘You a dawg’,” Nabers said. “He was throwing the ball in spots, throwing the ball [over] linebackers and stuff. He was in a zone and I had to keep patting his head, keeping his mental zone right. He was doing everything right.”
It also fed his already high confidence. When the Cowboys scored in the third quarter to make 21-14, Dart’s mindset was simple. “Let’s go score again.”
He didn’t say it in the huddle. He just did it. The Giants led 28-14 and weren’t threatened again.
That’s the path for Dart to make strides in season two. Every game won’t call for a methodical finish but it calls for precise execution.
If he can do more of that? The Giants will be a better team. There will be more challenging defenses and more hurdles that will keep him from being nearly perfect like Sunday.
However, his Week 1 brilliance set a foundation for the level he and the Giants want him to play at in Year 2.
“I'm not going to get too high, not get too low,” Dart said. “Our team has to continue to get better. There's a lot of things that we need to clean up. Same with myself. So, I'm just going to continue to just try to grow and be the best player that I can be.”
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
