Giants' Jaxson Dart hasn't thrown the deep ball much, but that doesn't mean he's not capable
Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart looks to throw a two-point conversion pass against the Patriots on Monday in Foxborough, Mass. Credit: AP/Steven Senne
Jaxson Dart’s touchdown pass to Darius Slayton on Monday night was a return to form after the quarterback missed two games with a concussion. Dart threw a short pass and Slayton raced through the Patriots' secondary for a 30-yard score early in the second quarter of a 33-15 loss.
That’s been the steady diet since Dart became the Giants' starter in Week 4. Short-to-intermediate passes to get receivers in space or set up longer plays. It’s helped the offense improve from last season despite the fact that the 2-11 Giants are mired in a seven-game losing streak.
The Giants are third in the NFL with 45 pass plays of at least 20 yards, well ahead of 2024, when they were last with 34. They’re also 13th with 7.2 yards per attempt, well ahead of 31st (6.0) last season.
If there’s one concern, though, it’s a lack of deep passes. Long plays don’t mean long completions. Per NextGenStats, Dart’s longest completed throw by air distance traveled 45.2 yards.
It’s tied for the third-shortest, with the Jets' Justin Fields, among quarterbacks who started games this season. By comparison, former Giants starter Russell Wilson has the third-longest completion this season with a pass that traveled 60.4 air yards.
It’s not a shock, since Wilson’s deep ball is considered one of the best in the game. Dart has mostly thrived in the shorter game. Some of that is intentional, interim coach Mike Kafka said. And, as Dart gets more comfortable, he’s taken deeper shots when available.
“It’s kind of situational [rather] than just by the play design that we use for that situation,” Kafka said. “First down, second down, what’s the down and distance, what do we need to get?”
Most rookie quarterbacks don’t sling the ball downfield, as coaches want to build up their comfort level. It’s true for Dart, and he’s also played less than two quarters with Malik Nabers after the star receiver suffered a season-ending right ACL injury in Dart’s first start.
Dart’s 6.8 yards per attempt would be tied for 18th with Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa if Dart was eligible to be among the NFL league leaders. By comparison, the Seahawks’ Sam Darnold leads the league with 9.0 yards per attempt.
Dart’s 3.6 air-yards-per-attempt average is just under the league mean of 3.7, per Pro Football Reference. Darnold and Patriots quarterback Drake Maye lead the league with 5.3.
For air yards per completion, Dart’s 5.7 average is 18th, via NextGenStats. It ties him with Green Bay’s Jordan Love and is just behind Chicago’s Caleb Williams and the Chargers’ Justin Herbert, both at 5.8. Darnold's 8.3 average is tops in the NFL.
As for explosive plays, Dart’s 18 completions of at least 20 yards are 26th, compared to Maye’s NFL-high 49. Maye had 25 such plays as a rookie last season and his growth is something Dart noticed Monday.
“I've known Drake for years and he's done a great job,” Dart said. “He also went through a struggle his first year, too. Everybody's journey's different. I'm just trying to do my best to change this franchise around a little bit and do my part.”
Dart’s numbers also compare well to first-year stats from other recent rookie quarterbacks. His numbers are behind C.J. Stroud from 2023 (7.4 air yards per completion, 4.7 per attempt, 8.2 passing yards per attempt) but his air-yard-per-completion stats are better than last year’s rookie quartet of Jayden Daniels (5.4), Williams (4.6), Maye (4.6) and Bo Nix (4.5). It’s also better than Bryce Young’s rookie year (4.9) in 2023. Only Daniels had a better average than Dart for air yards per attempt (3.7) and passing yards per attempt (7.4).
There’s hope, then, that the Giants’ passing game will see more downfield throws if Dart takes a leap in Year Two. It also depends who the Giants hire as head coach and offensive coordinator.
Until then, the Giants’ lack of deep passes is a mild concern, especially given Nabers’ injury. With four games left, there’s also a chance it could improve as Dart and his coaches get more comfortable with what he can do on the field.
“It’s a little bit of both between scheme and the situation, I would say,” Kafka said about deciding when to call deep throws. “But Jaxson has a good feel for that.”
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.
