The time is now for NFL rookie Jaxson Dart. According to multiple reports, including ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the New York Giants are making a change at the quarterback position following an 0-3 start. The Giants will turn the offense over to Dart following a winless open to the season behind Russell Wilson.
Dart will get the opportunity to make his first start at home with the Giants set to host the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
The move to turn the offense over the first-year quarterback from Ole Miss came following a press conference Monday in which Giants head coach Brian Daboll was noncommittal about the starting role.
“We’re working through all the personnel decisions, and we’ll do that over the next few days,” Daboll said.
“We’re doing what we normally do, which is watch the tape. We’re just watching it with the players right now. So, we’ll have staff meetings after this, but when we come in we watch the tape — offense, defense, kicking game — as a staff and then we go meet with the players. That’s where we’re at right now.”
Giants offense struggling through three games
The news of Dart being inserted into the starting lineup comes on the heels of another poor showing by the New York offense. The Giants scored just nine points in a 22-9 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
Wilson was kept without a touchdown pass in the game and completed 18 of his 32 attempts for only 160 yards. The 14-year NFL veteran threw two interceptions against the Chiefs and was sacked two times.
He has just three touchdown passes this season and all of them came in a 40-37 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2. Wilson threw for 450 yards in that contest but is averaging just 164 yards passing in the other two games.
His 59.1 percent completion rate is the lowest of his career. The 10-time Pro Bowl quarterback signed a one-year contract with the Giants in the offseason worth $10.5 million.
“There’s highs and lows,” Wilson said following Sunday’s loss in which he was booed by fans at MetLife Stadium. “There’s always tough moments. You gotta have thick skin. You gotta be able to know who you are, know the player that you are, know what you’re capable of. Obviously, I’ve been able to show that throughout my career, and obviously last week and everything else, too, what we’re capable of as an offense.”
Dart enters first start following strong preseason
Dart has been able to get his feet yet in his rookie campaign. The 22-year old, who was drafted in the first round with the 25th overall pick this spring, has played in two games this season. He has yet to attempt a pass but had rushing attempts against the Cowboys and Chiefs.
The Giants utilized Dart in the red zone in Week 3, but he will be allowed to take the reins of the entire offense in his first start Sunday. Dart was productive during the preseason in three appearances.
His abilities as a dual threat making him a potential spark plug for the Giants’ offense, which is looking for answers heading into Week 4. The team has been held under 10 points in two of its three matchups this season.
He finished the preseason with 372 yards passing and three touchdowns with no interceptions on 47 attempts with 32 completions. Dart also rushed for 52 yards on six attempts in those three preseason games.
“I want to kind of just be in my game,” Dart said during the preseason. “I want to be in my own space. I want to be able to encourage others, help raise the play of the guys around me and I just want to win. So, whatever that takes for me to do when I’m out there on the field, that’s my mindset. It’s not really about, oh I’m gonna prove this or prove that. How am I going to put our team in the best position to win?”
Dart began his college career at USC before transferring to Ole Miss for three seasons. During his last season in Oxford, Dart passed for 4,279 yards and 29 touchdowns. He threw for 11,970 yards in his four-year college career.