Former Giants QB Sounds Off on Decision to Switch to Jaxson Dart

“Did they have to play him this week? Yes. They had to," Simms said to host Adam Schein.

"I'm sitting at home watching the Kansas City game, and I see all the empty seats. … and owners, they know empty seats too. And you have to listen to the public sometimes, because when they don't show up, that’s a big deal.”

The overall scene at MetLife Stadium for the Giants' home opener against the then-winless Chiefs was certainly not something for John Mara and ownership to take pride in, as it appeared the fans might be starting to lose interest in the team.

It was clear that a good chunk of the fans in attendance were donning the red colors of the visiting team, and audible groans were coming from the Giants on the two rare occasions that Daboll threw Dart in for a snap or two before going back to Wilson.

Wilson, who told reporters that he is not done as a professional following his benching by the Giants, had his final straw come in a dismal primetime performance, where he threw two interceptions and couldn't get one of his 32 pass attempts into the end zone.

Thus, to avoid completely losing the fanbase and continuing to stake his job on a flopping offense that needed a fresh face to put some energy back into it with 14 games left, Daboll made his lasting switch to Dart, whom some folks thought wouldn't see the field for upwards of a couple of months.

“I hear all the people talking… ‘Well, they need to sit him for the whole year. He shouldn't play until week 10.’ That is nuts," Simms added.

"I thought Jaxson Dart would sit on the sidelines for maybe four or five games. You stand over there, Adam. I was one of these guys. I was just a fan of the first game or two, like, ‘yeah, this is pretty cool,’ being on the sideline and watching the game."

"And then week three, I remember looking out there going, ‘you know, I can do this.’ And then by week four, you're like, ‘shoot, when are they gonna play me?’ And I'm sure Jaxson Dart is kind of in that same mold. “

Simms even agreed that Dart is the type of quarterback prospect whose intangibles he initially overlooked until he saw them in person at the Giants' summer training camp practices. He quickly learned that the young player was primed to take over the starting job at some point in the season.

“He's sneaky, really good at running the football. … I've underrated his ability to run up the middle and to gain yards and get it fast. And the other thing is he's a big dude, man. He's big, he's thick, he can take punishment, and he can deliver it, too."

“Yeah, he's a rookie, but this offense is not going to look the same. It's going to be a big difference. It's going to have energy. They're going to call plays, and you're going to go, Wow, I didn't expect that. I mean, that's what I think will happen.”

The Giants might have made it clear that Wilson would begin the year as their starting arm and remain there so long as his experience and presence in the pocket were leading to positive results on the scoreboard. 

That simply hasn't been the case through three games, and it's going to take their gamble on Dart in the draft panning out to salvage what's left.

If he can't translate his game to the big leagues and vindicate the regime's decision, all bets could then be off, as they will have run out of cards to deal, and vast changes could be in store for the offseason.

As of now, the Giants' brass doesn't seem to be alone in their belief that Dart is the answer, as the great gunslingers of the franchise's past see the present opportunity as Dart's to seize and start building his legacy in that timeline.