Brian Burns addresses 'outside noise' hovering over Giants after Jaxson Dart's 'negativity' comments 

The New York Giants improved to 2-4 on the season after an impressive 34-17 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night. Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart then expressed a desire to eliminate the "negativity" that has hovered over the franchise in recent years. 

While the Giants drafted Dart this past spring, pass-rusher Brian Burns joined the organization via a trade with the Carolina Panthers in March 2024. Following Thursday's victory, Burns discussed whether or not he and others in the locker room were motivated by the fact that the hosts were betting underdogs by more than a touchdown heading into the contest. 

Giants used talk ahead of Eagles game "in a positive way"

"To me, the outside noise is inevitable," Burns explained, per the Giants' website. "It's just whether you're going to allow it to affect your play or not. You're going to hear it. You're going to see it. You can't miss it. But it's just whether you're going to allow it to affect what you do on the field. And today I feel like we allowed it to push us in a positive way. We locked in on what was important in the building, and we played great in all three phases."

Dart and rookie running back Cam Skattebo received the bulk of headlines for their stellar performances at MetLife Stadium in front of a prime-time audience. That said, the Giants' defense pitched a shutout after the Eagles grabbed a 17-13 lead with 6:56 remaining in the game's first half. 

Burns tallied two sacks to enter the weekend holding a share of the league lead (seven) for that stat. He was asked if he agreed with Dart that Thursday's result was a "statement" win for a franchise coming off back-to-back losing seasons. 

"It's a game," Burns responded. "It's a game against a division opponent, and at the end of the day, like I said, every Sunday is its own Sunday. A lot of people didn't have us slotted to win this. You feel me? So, this is a game. That defending champion stuff is cool, but it's a new year. We're just trying to build and stack on as many wins as we've got so far."

Brian Burns discusses "contagious" energy had by Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo 

Giants players have routinely mentioned how Dart and Skattebo have given the team a needed "spark" ever since Dart was named the club's starter after Week 3. Burns echoed such comments while speaking about the two rookies. 

"Their energy is contagious," Burns said. "Skatt and Dart, they're playing fearless. And that's something I really respect. I hope that as they get older, they age well in this league, and they're going to make more calculated decisions. But right now? Hey man, balls to the wall." 

Burns, Skattebo, Dart and the rest of the Big Blue roster will now have some time to recover before the Giants play at the Denver Broncos on Oct. 19.