Jaxson Dart’s Dual-Threat Ability Leads Giants to First Win

With the offensive line’s inconsistency and playing against a superb Chargers defense, it was vital for Dart to be able to escape pressure and make plays for himself.

Needs to Get the Ball Out Under Pressure

Dart’s fearlessness in the pocket is one of his best traits on the field, but he needs to get the ball out while under pressure. Throughout this game, when facing pressure, he failed to keep his eyes downfield, which often led to a sack or an unnecessary scramble.

Dart must learn to throw the ball away when necessary. Because of his inability to get the ball out under pressure, he took five sacks, most of which were not because of the offensive line.

Dart’s Impressive Improvisation

Although Dart does have a problem with getting the ball out quickly, he still made multiple plays on the move. In fact, his most impressive plays of the day came out of structure; one example was when he had to roll out right and direct Darius Slayton to come back, hitting him down the sideline.

Another impressive improvisation play came in the first drive, with Dart stepping up in the pocket and hitting Malik Nabers over the middle of the field. His improvisation was promising throughout the preseason, and he continues to show it in the regular season.

Take the Easy Completions More Often

Dart’s aggressiveness downfield has always been noteworthy, and it was evident in this game. On multiple plays, especially play-action, he decides to throw it to the deep, contested receiver instead of settling for the wide-open player nearby.

Aggressiveness downfield is far from a bad trait for a quarterback, but getting short completions is a great way to keep drives alive and gain momentum. This is another thing Dart will likely improve upon with more time.

Great on Third-Down Conversions

The Giants were phenomenal on third-downs in this game, in large part due to Dart. They were 7/15 on third-down conversions in the game — they only have 11 other third-down conversions on the season. Last season, the Giants ranked sixth-worst in third-down conversions and remain sixth-worst this season, despite their success in Week 4.

Third down is where Dart looked the most comfortable, hitting his receivers with good anticipation and maximizing his mobility. This was arguably the best part of his debut and gives the Giants a chance to extend drives more than they’ve had in years.