John Harbaugh Has Already Changed the Giants’ Identity

Jackson Dart Looks Like a Different Quarterback

At the center of everything was Jaxson Dart, who suddenly looked much more like an established NFL quarterback than a young player still trying to find his way. Dart completed 23 of 29 passes for 230 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. It was an excellent statistical performance, but the numbers weren’t the most impressive part of his night.

Dart looked like he understood the offense. New York frequently shifted formations, sent players in motion and made adjustments at the line of scrimmage, and Dart appeared comfortable orchestrating all of it. Rather than simply receiving the play and trying to execute it, Dart looked increasingly capable of identifying what Dallas was showing and getting the Giants into favorable situations. That’s a significant development for a young quarterback being asked to operate an offense with considerable pre-snap movement and complexity.

That wasn’t necessarily obvious early. Dallas had several apparent coverage breakdowns in the first half, making it difficult to determine how much credit belonged to Dart and how much belonged to a Cowboys defense that looked disorganized. By the end of the game, however, Dart had answered many of those questions. He looked poised, decisive, and comfortable controlling the offense.

For long stretches, Dart looked like the more established quarterback on the field.

John Harbaugh Has Given the Giants a Personality

Harbaugh’s fingerprints were everywhere, particularly in New York’s willingness to play physical football. Putting 215-pound Cam Skattebo in the same backfield as 300-pound fullback Patrick Ricard gave the Giants a gruesome attack that stole Dallas’ willingness to play football.

But the Giants weren’t simply trying to overpower Dallas. They used heavy personnel alongside motion, formation changes and quarterback checks, presenting different looks without constantly changing personnel. Skattebo provided the physical running style you’d expect from that approach, while Dart’s mobility gave Dallas another threat to account for.

There were mistakes. The Giants piled up penalties, and one first-half protection breakdown resulted in Dart taking a massive hit from a wide rusher the right side of the offensive line failed to account for. At times, New York’s aggression bordered on recklessness.

Some of that will need to be cleaned up, but it’s considerably easier to temper an aggressive football team than manufacture aggression in one that doesn’t have it.

The Giants Took Away Dallas’ Best Weapons

The same mentality appeared defensively. Dallas entered the season with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens giving Dak Prescott one of the NFL’s vaunted receiving combinations, but the Giants essentially erased the explosive element of that pairing.

Lamb and Pickens combined for only 72 receiving yards, and neither produced a catch longer than 15 yards. Rather than allowing Dallas’ receivers to attack downfield, New York forced the Cowboys to work underneath and sustain drives.

Dallas eventually scored 20 points, but it never established the explosive passing attack that should be one of the strengths of its roster. Prescott and the Cowboys spent much of the night playing the game on New York’s terms.

That may have been the most impressive part of Harbaugh’s debut. New York didn’t simply beat Dallas. For much of the night, the Giants dictated what kind of football game Dallas was allowed to play.

One Game But a Very Different Giants

It’s dangerous to draw sweeping conclusions from Week 1, and the Giants certainly weren’t flawless. Dallas contributed to New York’s success with some disorganized defensive football of its own, while Harbaugh has plenty to clean up after a night filled with penalties.

Still, this didn’t look like a team searching for answers. It looked like a team playing with purpose.

Harbaugh has brought physicality and aggression to New York, but perhaps more importantly, he appears to have brought confidence. The Giants played like they expected their offense to execute complicated concepts, their defense to handle Dallas’ star receivers and their young quarterback to control the game.

Dart rewarded that confidence with one of the most mature performances of his young career. His numbers were excellent, but his command of the offense was considerably more interesting.

After years of searching for an identity, the Giants may finally have found one.