So, the most recent team to beat the Giants pointed out vulnerabilities in Jaxson Dart in the days leading up to the game?
Been there, done that.
“I mean, [Georgia coach] Kirby Smart said the exact same thing every time he played against me, so did [former Alabama coach] Nick Saban, so did every coach that I played in college,’’ Dart, formerly of Ole Miss, said Wednesday after practice. “This is nothing new.
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“This isn’t like a new thing that’s been brought up in my career.’’
Well, this is the first time around all this for Dart since entering the NFL and coming to the Giants. The comments about him in the SEC are long gone by now, and a slew of new material is building as he navigates his way through this increasingly difficult first season.
The Commanders, prior to their 29-21 victory over the Giants, were all over Dart’s playing style, which in and of itself is not noteworthy. Detailed breakdowns of a player’s strengths, weaknesses and tendencies are all a part of weekly preparation. With Dart, though, so much seems just a bit different. As if he is being scrutinized with a wider lens than normal.
Jaxson Dart of the Giants is forced out of the pocket and runs the ball during the fourth quarter agaisnt the Commanders. Bill Kostroun/New York Post
When Dan Quinn, the Commanders head coach, addressed his team leading into the game, the “Hard Knocks’’ cameras and microphones revealed the approach this next opponent wanted to take with the rookie. The extremely aggressive, violent and legal hit Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss nailed Dart with on the sideline was shown and emphasized.
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“The last piece, QB, when he’s out here, he is a running back first,” Quinn said. “This is a good hit by Christian Elliss on the sideline, alright. He is not looking to go down and get in the slide. We got to go out hitting, fellas.”
This message echoed how defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. wanted his guys to attack Dart.
“The quarterback is a very competitive dual-threat guy,’’ Whitt said in a defensive meeting. “He will try to run the ball like a running back. He will try to run you over. He will try to stiff-arm. He doesn’t really run out of bounds. He doesn’t slide a whole bunch. We can get the ball off of him. The ball is life, it is air and we need it.’’
Dart clearly was aware of all this, but he sort of scoffed when asked if he is watching “Hard Knocks.’’ This edition of the series is chronicling the NFC East.
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“No, I’m not,’’ he said. “I got a lot of other things to worry about.’’
Dart and the Giants (2-12) are gearing up for their Week 16 matchup with the Vikings, and Dart will be challenged by an unpredictable defense designed by Brian Flores.
The way Dart’s first NFL season has evolved, there is more discussion and debate about him being a target for opposing defenses and independent concussion spotters up in the booth than there is his actual play on the field.
Dart has definitely been frustrated by some of this. Does he seem confused or hesitant because of it?
Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. discussing Jaxson Dart. @MySportsUpdate/X
“I don’t sense that,’’ interim head coach Mike Kafka said. “I sense a really aggressive player continuing to learn and grow and build an offense around him. He’s taking all that in and making it his own and putting his fingerprint on it.’’
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Is Dart playing fast and loose with the ball? The numbers say … no.
He has thrown four interceptions in 264 pass attempts. His interception frequency of 1.5 percent is ninth-best in the league, lower than Drake Maye (1.7), Bo Nix (1.8), Aaron Rodgers (1.9), Daniel Jones (2.1), Lamar Jackson (2.2) and Patrick Mahomes (2.2). As Eli Manning used to say, every interception has its own story. The only one of the four thrown by Dart that was truly awful was the lob in Denver that proved to be exceedingly costly.
Indeed, the Commanders did get the ball off of Dart, but the interception was more on receiver Jalin Hyatt running a soft route than an errant throw.
“They got a pick off me,’’ Dart said. “I haven’t really been a turnover-heavy player my entire career. I think that’s just one thing coaches say in every single meeting, it doesn’t matter what team. That conversation goes on in every single team meeting.”
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As far as ball security, Dart has four fumbles this season, losing two of them. The first turnover was when he simply dropped the ball in New Orleans. The second was on a scramble when he was leveled from behind in Chicago. That hit and fall to the ground caused the concussion that forced Dart to miss the next two games.
So, the Commanders focusing on a presumed proclivity for Dart to lose the ball is based more on anticipation than reality. Either way, Dart seemed unbothered by all of this and did not come close to telling the Commanders to keep his name out of their mouths.
“It just gets me excited,’’ Dart said. “Obviously they’re acknowledging respect in a way, too. I appreciate that. I think any time there’s teams that are game-planning, and they definitely give respect to a player, I think it’s for a reason.’’