The Dallas Cowboys need to prepare for a quarterback plot twist in Week 2 vs New York Giants
Even though the Giants are starting Russell Wilson, the Cowboys need to be ready for Jaxson Dart.
The Dallas Cowboys’ Week 2 matchup got a spark of temporary intrigue when New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll refused to confirm Russell Wilson as the starting quarterback postgame last Sunday.
However, most of it dissipated after he announced Wilson was still the team’s QB1 earlier this week. But that doesn’t mean the Cowboys won’t need to account for the possibility of rookie QB Jaxson Dart playing. At least, not according to my colleague and A to Z Sports’ Giants expert Joe DeLeone.
“A way they can inject some juice into this team is by working Jaxson Dart in as a designed runner,” DeLeone said in a recent video, which you can watch below. “Last week, we saw Jalen Hurts have a lot of success while they couldn’t get anything going on the ground and albeit, it was Jalen Hurts scrambling, it has been proven that there is an opportunity for Dart to step in and to pick some big plays as a runner.”
Cowboys DC Matt Eberflus needs to be ready for the threat of Jaxson Dart
We know Giants quarterback Russell Wilson used to terrify defenses with his legs but that’s in the rearview mirror. After averaging 500 rushing yards per season from 2012-2020, Wilson since sits at under half of that mark (average of 239 rushing yards per season), per Pro Football Reference. Though the Cowboys need to be aware of potential scrambles, it shouldn’t be much of a concern.
However, because of Dart potentially taking the field in a limited role, Eberflus’ game plan needs to account for potential QB runs. In Week 1, insiders indicated the Giants planned to play Dart in certain packages. While we didn’t see that, it could happen this weekend, especially if New York gets to the red zone where the dual threat of a QB becomes more important.
Against Hurts, the Cowboys didn’t use a QB spy to limit Hurts. They were punished for it as the Eagles quarterback piled up 62 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Will they adapt in case they face Dart? If not, they could regret it.
Dallas Cowboys News
The Dallas Cowboys have a worrying situation on defense following the latest injury update ahead of Week 2 (Update: It got worse)
Something to monitor.
