Brian Daboll makes important statement about starting Giants QB job following strong performance from rookie Jaxson Dart
New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll gave context to whether rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart has a shot to start over Russell Wilson.
Jaxson Dart has been dominant in his first two preseason games with the New York Giants. After playing mistake-free and efficient football, it begs the question of whether the Giants could start Dart sooner than many anticipated.
Ginats fans are clamoring for a chance to see Dart take snaps with the starting offense after his recent run.
When the media asked Brian Daboll after the Giants’ 31-12 victory against the New York Jets, he quickly shut down that possibility by saying, “Russ is our starter, and we’re going to keep developing Jaxson.”
Should Dart be in the mix to start?
Through the first two preseason games, Dart is on a prolific run. Tonight, Dart threw for 142 yards with only two incompletions on 16 passing attempts, with two total touchdowns. Overall, this preseason Dart is 26/35 for 291 yards and three total touchdowns.
Stats aside, Dart has also been incredibly decisive. He hasn’t hesitated and appears very comfortable in most situations. His aggressiveness and willingness to attack are extremely refreshing, especially coming off their last first-round quarterback, Daniel Jones.
The most impressive aspect of his play is the lack of turnovers in this stretch. He hasn’t been completely perfect in his decision-making, but the natural instincts he’s displayed are phenomenal for a quarterback who was widely considered developmental.
Coming from a Lane Kiffin offense that doesn’t produce elite NFL decision-makers, this two-game stretch has exceeded everyone’s expectations.
Although it’s fun to get excited about a rookie quarterback showing flashes of talent, it doesn’t mean he’s ready to start. We do need to bring ourselves back down to earth and remind ourselves that he’s facing primarily backups in these two games.
Daboll made a direct point to lower fans’ expectations after today’s game. He went as far as to point out that even though Dart has played very well, there is a wall he could eventually hit.
“We have a plan, we had a plan a while ago … You just have to keep working with them, and understand that there’s going to be a lot of downs. I know there’s some ups right now, and there’s going to be a lot of downs. We just gotta keep growing and communicating. Just keep getting better.”
Rookie performances like Jayden Daniels’ and CJ Stroud’s are the exception and not the rule. While it’s not what fans want to hear, Daboll is right to reframe Darts’ performances in the overall path of his development.
Daboll referred to their plan, which clearly was to keep Russell Wilson in no matter what for Week 1. But it does raise the question of whether that plan has a specific week in mind for Dart’s first start. How does the plan change if the Giants are struggling or Dart looks better than expected?
Based on Daboll’s response, it seems unlikely that we’ll see Dart take preseason snaps with the first-team offense. However, one can hope he changes his mind before their final game against the New England Patriots this Thursday.
