New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll shares honest reaction to rookie QB Jaxson Dart’s NFL preseason debut against Bills originally appeared on A to Z Sports.
New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll had a heartfelt message for rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart after his fantastic preseason debut vs the Buffalo Bills.
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“I said I’m proud of you tonight, you did some good things. We got to make some more plays too on the perimeter … We got two or three chances to make those plays … He’s pretty hard on himself, I’ll say that.”
Daboll evaluates Dart’s performance
No one knew what to expect from Dart in his first preseason game. He’s had plenty of highs and lows throughout training camp. Daboll has kept Dart under wraps. He even went as far as not announcing today’s starter until hours before the game. Daboll sounded very confident in how he expected Dart to perform.
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“About what I thought he would do. Efficient. Effective. Aggressive. Confident in the pocket. Some stuff we can work on, but he’s doing good.”
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Dart’s debut dazzled Giants fans, as he finished the game going 12/19 with 154 yards and one touchdown in their 34-25 victory. He added 24 rushing yards on three attempts with a long of 19.
Daboll acknowledged it’s too soon to draw conclusions about Dart’s potential. In his post-game press conference, he repeatedly stressed that it was just the first game of his hopefully long career.
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“Again, it’s one game. He’s had good practices. He’s had practices we got to improve on. There’s good plays out there, plays he can improve on … just talking to him on the sideline, his demeanor, it was a good start for him.”
While Daboll wants fans to temper expectations, Dart did shine in several areas during the game. He flashed tremendous accuracy, decisiveness, and touch. The most impressive aspect of his day was how well he stood in the pocket with pressure bearing down. Daboll pointed that out while evaluating Dart.
“He’s going to stand in there and take one now. But he’s got good feel and good athleticism if he has to run.”
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Dart’s poise is a highly underrated trait for a rookie quarterback, especially when many rookies struggle with composure. If he can continue to remain unfazed while under duress, Dart could potentially see the field sooner than expected.
It’s promising to see Dart perform the way he did with many building block plays, and hearing that Daboll was impressed with his performance is encouraging. It sounds like Dart and Daboll have already established a strong and healthy relationship that can be fostered over time.
This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Aug 9, 2025, where it first appeared.