The Giants registered 12 quarterback hits, including a team-high five from rookie Abdul Carter. The third overall draft pick forced an intentional grounding on one of them.

The Giants had three players (Carter, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns) who produced at least three quarterback hits each. The only other Giants trio to do it in a single game was Mathias Kiwanuka, Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora vs. Philadelphia in 2007. (Quarterback hits became an official statistic in 2006.)

The Giants converted a season-high seven third downs (on 15 attempts), including a key third-and-five where Dart connected with Johnson with 2:38 left in the game. The fresh set of downs helped the Giants chew up more clock, giving the ball back to the Chargers with just 18 seconds remaining. The Giants had no hesitation calling a pass in that situation for the rookie.

“It’s interesting, with that play, it was a little bunch play,” Daboll said. “We’ve worked it one way for 10 years, as we run the play. And Dart sees me in the locker room right before I come out here, he’s like, on that play we ran, Theo and I talked about that, whatever it was yesterday or the day before, and if you get this look, I want you to sit. We normally don’t really sit on it. So that’s a credit to two young players playing the game and having confidence in a critical time to do what they talked about when they’re studying film. I got a lot of confidence in our rookie quarterback.”

Dart added: “That one was really cool because it was something that we discussed, kind of a change-up, an adjustment on the route. He was really just supposed to keep running all the way through. I told him, just from film prep and stuff, if you see that middle open, just sit down for me. It was kind of a cool moment to see that happen in a big situation like that. We gave each other a little look, and I was really excited to obviously make that play with him.”

Dart is the first quarterback to win his first career start against a team that was 3-0 or better in 23 seasons (Marc Bulger with the St. Louis Rams on Oct. 13, 2002, against the 4-0 Oakland Raiders). He is the Giants’ first rookie quarterback to do so since Phil Simms in 1979 against the 5-0 Buccaneers (excluding strike seasons).

Meanwhile, the Giants became the first 0-3 team to defeat a 3-0 team in exactly 17 years (Sept. 28, 2008 – Kansas City 33, Denver 19).

“I saw Burns after, and I saw him during the game. He is spent, not saying it’s the [Michael Jordan] flu game. But that young man is spent, I mean, he looks the part right now.” – Daboll on Burns fighting through an illness to record a key third-down sack that cost the Chargers 16 yards and forced them to punt late in the game

WHAT THE WIN MEANS FOR GIANTS

In the long run, time will tell. In the short term, the Giants picked up their first win of the season and will look to make it two in a row next week against the New Orleans Saints, who are 0-4 following a 31-19 loss to the Bills on Sunday. The NFC foes will meet for the third consecutive season and fourth time in five years.

WR Malik Nabers
TE Theo Johnson
LT Andrew Thomas
LG Jon Runyan
C John Michael Schmitz
RG Greg Van Roten
RT Jermaine Eluemunor
WR Wan’Dale Robinson
WR Darius Slayton
QB Jaxson Dart
RB Cam Skattebo

OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux
DL Darius Alexander
DL Dexter Lawrence
DL Roy Robertson-Harris
OLB Brian Burns
ILB Bobby Okereke
ILB Darius Muasau
CB Cor’Dale Flott
CB Paulson Adebo
S Tyler Nubin
S Jevón Holland

Nabers suffered a knee injury with 6:12 left in the second quarter while attempting to catch a deep pass from Dart on a free play due to defensive offsides. He was ruled out for the remainder of the game. Nabers had two catches for 20 yards on three targets to that point.

Dart, who was dealing with a hamstring injury, was evaluated for a concussion early in the second half following a 39-yard scramble that was called back for holding. After Wilson took the next two snaps, Dart cleared protocol.

“I was pissed,” the competitive Dart said of having to be evaluated. “I don’t want to see anybody try to sprint 70-yards as hard as you can, and then you’ve got to run back and get ready for the next play. You’re going to be tired. That’s all it was. I was just tired. Obviously, I never want to come out of the game.”

“I know 6 is probably going to be sore,” Daboll said. “I mean, he gutted it out. [He] is a tough son of a, you know what. He’s tough, but I knew that.”

Safety Jevón Holland also suffered a neck injury but returned to the game.

NYG: RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (shoulder), DL Chauncey Golston (ankle), OL Evan Neal, TE Thomas Fidone II, DL Rakeem Nuñez-Roches Sr. (foot), S Beau Brade, QB Jameis Winston (3rd QB)

LAC: WR Derius Davis (knee), S R.J. Mickens, CB Nikko Reed, G Mekhi Becton (concussion), TE Will Dissly (knee), DT Otito Ogbonnia

NYG: OLB Tomon Fox (signed to active roster from practice squad), DL Elijah Garcia (signed to active roster from practice squad), K Jude McAtamney (activated from practice squad), LB Neville Hewitt (activated from practice squad), K Graham Gano (placed on injured reserve), K Younghoe Koo (signed to practice squad), LB Curtis Jacobs (released from practice squad)

LAC: OT Foster Sarell (activated from practice squad), RB Kimani Vidal (activated from practice squad)