Giants' Jaxson Dart credits two teammates after winning first start

Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart replaced Russell Wilson as the New York Giants' starting quarterback and then guided the club to a 21-18 home win over the previously unbeaten Los Angeles Chargers that improved the Giants to 1-3. 

Dart spoke with Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated and credited both Wilson and QB3 Jameis Winston for how they helped the first-year pro get ready to make the first regular-season start of his pro career. 

How Russell Wilson handled being benched in favor of Jaxson Dart

"This week wasn’t easy for Russ — he handled it like a real pro— and Jameis was a huge asset to me," Dart explained. "They are just as involved as anybody. And a lot of times we stay after hours talking through things."

Both Wilson and Winston have been mentioned in trade rumors over the past several weeks, but Dart's comments may show why the club wants to hold onto the veteran signal-callers through at least a portion of the fall. Additionally, Mike Sando of The Athletic mentioned that Sunday's game offered multiple reminders that the Giants may ultimately need Wilson to take more than a couple of snaps later this season. 

As was the case during the Giants' preseason finale back on Aug. 21, Dart was evaluated for a concussion after he took an unnecessary hit during the Chargers game. He also dealt with a sore hamstring in the second half of Sunday's win. 

In total, Dart completed just 13-of-20 attempts for 111 yards with a touchdown on a shovel pass to tight end Theo Johnson. Dart also recorded 54 rushing yards and a score on 10 carries. 

Jaxson Dart credits Brian Daboll for midweek preparations ahead of Chargers game

"I realized early on that the NFL is on another level," Dart told Breer. "It’s not as easy as in college. [Giants head coach Brian Daboll] did a great job giving me freedom to be involved in the game plan. There are a few things I can do with my legs. We added those, and that made it easier. It slowed the game down for me."

Daboll and Co. will hope the game slows down even more for Dart when he faces the 0-4 New Orleans Saints at the Caesars Superdome this coming Sunday. As of Monday morning, ESPN BET had the Giants as 1.5-point favorites for that matchup.