The Detroit Lions are taking on the New York Giants this week, and at this point, it is unclear which quarterback they’ll be facing, but the feeling right now is that it will be Jaxson Dart over Jameis Winston since Dart returned to practice on Wednesday. Lions head coach Dan Campbell was asked about what he sees in Dart this week.

“Well, he does give them a spark. I mean, the guy’s – he’s kind of an electric player. He’s got some energy about him, he’s tough, plays tough. He’s got the ability to run, and he can kind of break some tackles and keeps his eyes downfield.” Campbell said. “He can make some pretty big throws. So, he just kind of brings that youthful energy, kind of a little bit of a spark to them that’s unique. You can’t let it get on you. But he’s intriguing. He’s a promising talent.”

Dart’s ability to get mobile is what the Lions really need to focus on Sunday

Campbell touches on it there, but this is where the Lions need to keep their heads up. Dart has seven touchdowns on the ground this year and 317 yards. That’s the baseline of our understanding of his mobile ability. We reached out to our Giants beat writer, Joe DeLeone, to get some extra scouting on this. Here’s what he had to say:

“Jaxson Dart’s mobility has been a significant driving force for the team’s offensive success. Since losing Cam Skattebo, the Giants have struggled to get production from Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary. Dart’s utilization as a designed runner has expanded the run game and added a new layer that defenses have struggled to account for. On passing plays, Dart’s also done a tremendous job of understanding when he needs to scramble when nothing is materializing downfield. With limited receiving options, his ability to improvise has allowed him to find yards no matter the circumstance. Lastly, his mobility and excellent pocket awareness have allowed him to keep plays alive as the pocket breaks down around him.

His willingness to run has been defined by the grit he’s displayed when encountering defenders. Sadly, as he’s been willing to fight through contact, he’s become vulnerable to injury-inducing blows. This led to the concussion he suffered against the Chicago Bears, which led to him not playing against the Green Bay Packers. With Winston in the game, they have way less of a running threat behind center. However, interim head coach and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka made up for that with deliberate, creative run plays.”

So, there you go. The Giants are going to use Dart as more than just a scrambling quarterback who can get himself out of trouble. They use him in designed runs. He essentially is their run game at this point. So if you shut down Dart, you shut down their offense completely.

The Lions have played well against mobile quarterbacks this year. They largely beat up Lamar Jackson, kept Patrick Mahomes from using his feet, and did the same with Baker Mayfield. The Lions could bring a spy or just focus on bringing a lot of pressure. Either way, keep Dart contained and attack the Giants’ defense on the ground, and you win this game.

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