New York Giants Week 2 Takeaways

The Giants went head-to-head with their division rival, the Dallas Cowboys. A game that felt like a foregone conclusion came all the way down to the final seconds in overtime. Dallas came away with a 40-37 win thanks to a pair of Brandon Aubrey field goals.

Russell Wilson looked like he was in his prime again, completing 30 of his 41 passes for 450 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. He averaged 10.9 yards per pass and ended with a 123 passer rating.

This was Wilson’s strongest performance in years. His 450 yards were the second most in a regular-season game in his career. He turned back the clock and showed why the Giants trusted him to be rookie QB Jaxson Dart’s mentor.

After fans called for Dart to be named the Week 2 starter, Wilson needed to play well in this game. After his performance, the QB1 job should be secure in his hands for now. The Giants needed Mr. Unlimited, and he showed up on Sunday.

The Surrounding Cast

The entire offense ran well on Sunday. Malik Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinson went for 167 and 142 receiving yards, respectively. They combined for three touchdowns, while Cam Skattebo rushed in another score.

Skattebo was the lead back in this game, rushing the ball 11 times for 45 yards. Russell Wilson had three rushes for 23 yards, averaging 7.7 yards per carry. Tyrone Tracy struggled to get moving, with five carries for 15 yards. The Giants needed to build the run game, and they finally did that here.

The entire first drive had a total of six penalties across 16 plays. With left tackle Andrew Thomas out of the game, James Hudson III started this one. He had four penalties on the opening drive, each one got worse and worse. 

Hudson started with a holding penalty, calling back a 24-yard run play, and followed it up with a false start. He then wiped 15 yards off a 50-yard pass play due to an unnecessary roughness call. These repeated flags hindered what could’ve been a touchdown drive. In a game that came down to three points, that cannot happen.

Defense, Defense, Defense

After struggling to intercept the ball all season in 2024, the Giants’ secondary is turning around. Andru Phillis was all over the field on Sunday. He had 11 total tackles, eight of them solo, one tackle for loss, two deflections, and New York’s first interception of the year. He was tasked with covering CeeDee Lamb for much of the game, and he didn’t back down.

The defensive line is exactly what fans hoped for. Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Elijah Garcia all logged a sack on Dak Prescott in this game. Burns has played up to his hype this year, logging three sacks in two games. Abdul Carter had a quiet game, but the rookie is still settling in.

The defense struggled throughout the game, but played much better than expected. They made huge plays and forced punts when it mattered, and they kept this game close down to the final seconds.

Is It Jaxson Dart Time?

Brian Daboll finally implemented Jaxson Dart in this game, albeit for only a handful of plays. He was brought in to throw Dallas’ defense off, and for the most part, it was effective. His first play was a handoff to Skattebo for 24 yards, while his second play was a handoff to Tracy for a first down.

Dart’s final play was a QB run for a loss of three yards. He didn’t do much in this game, but he was put out there in the fourth quarter of a razor-thin matchup. It seems Daboll’s plan isn’t to give him garbage time play but to randomly put him in high-pressure situations. It’s an interesting strategy, but one that could be extremely effective.

Dart’s time will come, but for now, Wilson has QB1 locked up. His performance on Sunday proved he can still play at a high level, and there’s no need to rush the rookie. The Giants need to stick to the plan here and let Dart develop at the right pace.

End Of My New York Giants Rant

The Giants didn’t secure the win on Sunday, but their performance should excite the fan base. Brandon Aubrey kicking a 64-yard field goal to send the game to overtime is insane, and there’s no shame in losing to him.

The fact that this came down to the final seconds of overtime is encouraging. This was the closest they’ve come to beating Dallas since their last win against them in 2021. The future is getting brighter in New York. Fans should stay patient and trust in the plan. For once, it seems that the Giants actually have one.