The New York Giants got just the spark they needed last week when rookie Jaxson Dart got his first career start and a 21-18 victory over the previously undefeated Los Angeles Chargers.
Dart was 13-of-20 for 111 yards and one touchdown, while adding another 54 yards and another score.
He wasn’t the only rookie to make his presence felt, as Cam Skattebo finished with 90 yards of total offense. Both of these guys won the fans over in New York with their personalities and competitive spirit.
They are going to fight and claw for every yard, even if the team doesn’t necessarily love seeing that from their franchise quarterback. When you play with the physicality that these two do, there are going to be some injury issues.
Both Dart (left hamstring) and Skattebo (knee) were on the injury report throughout the week, but Tom Pelissero reported they are both cleared to go.
During the game on Sunday, Dart was seen grabbing his hamstring for much of the first half. He also was forced to leave in the second half by the NFL, after he was tackled and the league wanted him to be looked for a possible concussion. He was cleared and able to go back in the game quickly after.
Moving forward, coach Brian Daboll and the rest of the offensive coaching staff are for sure talking to him about making sure to get and not take as many of the big hits he did against the Chargers.
For Skattebo, he is never going to change how he goes about playing. What makes him such a good player is that relentless effort, so he is going to continue to play like that. He has seen his role in the offense continue to evolve with Tyrone Tracy Jr. still dealing with a shoulder injury.
After having only two carries in the first game, Skattebo has had double-digit carries in each of the last three games. In the game against the Chargers, he had more carries (25) than he had in the first three (23). The best thing an offense can do for a rookie quarterback is having a solid run game, so expect the Giants to continue to give him the ball.
At 1-3, the Giants are still facing an up-hill battle of competing for a playoff spot in the deep NFC. However, this season could really set them up for the next couple of seasons as Dart continues to grow as an NFL quarterback.
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