Jaxson Dart had his worst game as a professional football player on Sunday, completing only 7 of 13 pass attempts for 33 yards and one interception.
The Minnesota Vikings’ defense made life hard for the New York Giants, and it has led to a broader discussion surrounding their rookie quarterback.
His regression since Big Blue fired Brian Daboll is hard to ignore, and it’s concerning that a player who was once the favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year has fallen so far.
Interim head coach Mike Kafka tried to push back on the Dart narrative at his Monday press conference, but the stats are difficult to ignore.
Mike Kafka Says Jaxson Dart is Not Regressing
“I don’t see it that way. I mean, I think every game is going to be different. How we play each game is going to be different,” Kafka said, when asked about the lackluster play of Dart over the last month.
“How we think what’s going to help us win the game is going to be different each week. And I think the last couple weeks we ran the ball almost 30 times. So when you run the ball 30 times, it’s going to limit some opportunities for the pass game.”
While Kafka points to the game scripts as a reason for Dart’s lower statistical outputs, it’s hard to ignore just how much worse it’s gotten since the New York Giants fired Daboll.
SNY’s Giants insider Connor Hughes posted the dropoff in yards and touchdowns and uptick in turnovers since the firing in a post on X.
Kafka can deny it all he wants, but the proof is in the pudding.
“Sure, maybe the numbers aren’t what they had been in the past, but I think he’s playing well. He’s playing at a high level. There’s certainly things that he can continue to improve on, and we’ve talked through those as a group, too,” Kafka told reporters.
“But when I look back at it, it’s really this is an 11-man operation on offense. So it’s not about one person’s production. It’s about the whole group, and it’s about the whole team.”
What Can the Giants Do to Get Jaxson Dart Back on Track?
Of course, the New York Giants are doing their best to protect their rookie quarterback from hurting himself.
In five of Dart’s 10 career starts, he’s been evaluated for a concussion.
But to completely erase one of the best aspects of his game, his mobility, is starting to seem like a detriment to the player.
In the Ole Miss standout’s first seven career starts, he averaged 45 rushing yards a game on 7.8 carries and ran in a touchdown seven times.
Since returning from injury, Dart is averaging five carries a game to go along with 30 yards and no touchdowns scored.
There’s a fine line to be found there that can protect the first-round pick while also utilizing his best attributes.
The next Giants coaching staff will have to figure it out, because otherwise, they’ll be on the hunt for a new quarterback.
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