Deep Dive on Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart’s first NFL start
Giantsrookie Jaxson Dart's NFL career got off to a triumphant start as he led New York to an upset win over the previously unbeaten Chargers.
While Dart's numbers were modest with 111 passing yards and a touchdown, along with 54 rushing yards and another touchdown, his largely mistake-free performance and some of the composure and grit he displayed give fresh hope to a Giants team which is now 1-3. What did we learn about his short and longer-term potential, though?
Let's break down some of the key plays in Dart's performance:
1st quarter, 10:05 to go - 1st and10 at the Chargers' 28, no score
This was the first time Dart threw past the sticks, and he timed his throw over the middle to Malik Nabers well with Los Angeles in a zone coverage. With the Giants lined up in an empty set, the Chargers dropped their two defensive tackles into the middle of the field to dissuade Dart from running, but he didn't fall into this trap when he stepped up, as he kept his eyes up well to find Nabers.
The loss of Nabers to a torn ACL in the second quarter was a huge blow to the Giants' 2025 prospects and Dart's own potential development, though.
1st quarter, 9:25 to go - 1st and10 at the Chargers' 15, no score
Dart's first NFL touchdown came on the next snap, as this time he was able to run up the middle, behind Cam Skattebo's lead block. This was a nicely designed play by the coaching staff, making ideal use of Dart's running ability.
JAXSON DART RUNS IT IN FOR HIS FIRST NFL TOUCHDOWN pic.twitter.com/4g3HEYSykc
- Giants Videos (@SNYGiants)September 28, 2025
1st quarter, 4:10 to go - 3rd and 6 at the Giants' 5, leading 7-0
Poise under pressure is one of the main things you look for from a young quarterback and Dart displayed that here as he dropped back into his own endzone before escaping the pocket and directing traffic as he rolled out, beckoning Darius Slayton back to the ball and hitting him for 18 yards on the move.
2nd quarter, 7:29 to go - 2nd and 5 at the Giants' 45, leading 10-3
This was the first sign of poor awareness from Dart as Tuli Tuipulotu came completely unblocked off the edge for one of his four sacks. Dart never sensed the pressure until it was too late, and it was lucky he didn't fumble the ball.
In all, Dart was sacked five times as one of the main negatives from his performance was a lack of decisiveness and holding the ball for too long at times. Better pocket presence will be vital for him, not just to avoid obvious passing situations but also to ensure he can stay in the lineup.
4th quarter, 15:00 to go - 2nd and 16 at the Giants' 35, leading 21-18
This was a straightforward play as Dart instantly threw the ball to Slayton underneath in a gap in zone coverage, off a three-step drop. Slayton had time to turn it upfield and get to the marker to move the chains. These simple, decisive reads will be paramount for Dart to master, as they'll form the nuts and bolts of his offensive output in the weeks ahead.
4th quarter, 5:44 to go - 4th and goal at the Chargers' 3, leading 21-18
With a chance to ice the game, Dart almost succeeded here as he avoided pressure to extent the play and rolled out to the right. However, he lofted a high pass softly to the open 5-foot-8 Wan'Dale Robinson, giving Chargers safety Alohi Gilman a chance to get across and break it up. If he had that one back, Dart would have put more on the throw or instead dumped it to Theo Johnson, who was also open in the end zone.
ConclusionsHead coach Brian Daboll and play-caller Mike Kafka deserve credit for putting together a gameplan that enabled Dart to have success, silencing those who said he wouldn't be ready to play at the level for a year or two.
The opening drive was well-scripted and executed to perfection, and New York also made some good calls and executed well on third down, converting six of their first nine and seven out of 15 overall.
However, Dart was unable to string together any drives of more than 50 yards after their first possession, and the only score the Giants managed after halftime came after a long interception return put them on the three-yard line. It was an extremely limited and conservative offensive approach, and they'll need to ask more of Dart going forwards if they're to continue to succeed with him in there.
Perhaps the best thing about his performance was that he avoided any dangerous throws and didn't have any obvious misfires or bad reads. However, that's a lot easier to achieve when you're running a basic one-read offense, with the downside being that this can become predictable and easy to slow down as the game progresses.
The Giants were smart to wait until left tackle Andrew Thomas was healthy enough to play a full-time role before making the switch to Dart. The offensive line looks significantly better with Thomas in there. While Dart's ability to elude pressure and extend plays is impressive, it's unlikely he would have had the same success he enjoyed yesterday behind the line Russell Wilson had protecting him for most of the first three games.
Next week is a tremendous opportunity for New York to get back to 2-3 as they head to New Orleans to face the struggling Saints, who have started the season 0-4. However, this will also tell us more about how soon Dart is going to be able to take this team to new heights, because expectations will also be heightened after Sunday's win.