The New York Giants and their fan base are hoping that rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart's performance against the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6 will go down as a breakout, as he guided the Giants to a 34-17 win.
The 2-4 Giants next play at the Denver Broncos (4-2) on Sunday. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Broncos pass-rusher Jonathon Cooper provided Dart with some bulletin board material for the Week 7 showdown.
"I mean, he’s a young guy," Cooper said about Dart, per Luca Evans of The Denver Post. "He’s feeling himself a lil' bit. He’s out there running around. He’s got the chain on. He’s dancing. I feel like everybody needs something, you know. But we’ve went against QBs who have ran around in the pocket and who’ve tried to do stuff with their legs. So, ain’t nothing we haven’t seen."
Dart and first-year running back Cam Skattebo have given the Giants a much-needed spark since the former became Big Blue's QB1 after Week 3. The two went viral on multiple occasions during the "Thursday Night Football" victory over the Eagles:
The @Giants rooks are having some fun on #TNFonPrime! pic.twitter.com/NqWJ621Wok
— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) October 10, 2025
Meanwhile, Chris Franklin for NJ Advance Media for NJ.com pointed out that the necklace Dart has rocked during games is a "good luck" charm that belonged to the signal-caller's little sister. Facing the Eagles, Dart completed 17-of-25 passes for 195 yards with a touchdown to go along with 58 rushing yards and a score on 13 attempts.
ESPN stats show that the Broncos began Thursday ranked second in the NFL in yards allowed per game (254.2) and in points surrendered per contest (15.8). Denver also leads the league with 30 total sacks after the club sacked Justin Fields of the New York Jets nine times in Week 6.
Cooper and Co. know what it's like to face an MVP quarterback twice each season because they share a division with the Kansas City Chiefs, who feature Patrick Mahomes at the top of the depth chart.
"We play one of the best quarterbacks twice a year, every single year," Cooper added. "So once you go against that, you kinda get a feel of the game. And, you know what you need to do. You gotta make ‘em feel uncomfortable in the pocket. So, you can’t let ‘em get that confidence and that ego going."
As of Thursday morning, ESPN BET had the Broncos as 7.5-point home favorites against the Dart-led Giants. It will be interesting to see if Dart responds to Cooper's comments before Sunday.
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