He was on the wrong end of an overtime thriller, but Russell Wilson sent a strong message to his critics after the New York Giants were beaten 40-37 by the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2.
Rather than lament a heartbreaking defeat, Wilson focused on the positives after he set a career-high for passing yards in a game and threw three touchdowns. The 36-year-old told reporters, including Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic, at AT&T Stadium on Sunday, September 14, how “This game meant a lot to me. It was time to answer the call. So I think that for me was important to do that, not for anybody else, just for myself.”
Wilson had faced criticism and pressure after a miserable outing against the Washington Commanders in Week 1. There was even intense speculation rookie Jaxson Dart could replace the 10-time Pro Bowler ahead of schedule, but the Giants stayed patient with Wilson, who told the press, “I know how talented I am. I know what I’m capable of. I don’t need somebody to convince me of that.”
He sounded surprisingly upbeat, despite enduring a second-straight loss as the Giants’ starter. Although Wilson was brilliant at times in Texas, he also made the decisive mistake by lobbing an interception to Cowboys safety Donovan Wilson in overtime.
That turnover took some of the sparkle off the way Wilson otherwise transformed Big Blue’s vertical passing game with 450 yards. It means another week of doubts about his status is surely in store.
Especially after Dart actually made it onto the field this week.
Russell Wilson Answered the ‘Noise’ vs. Cowboys
As ESPN’s Jordan Raanan noted, Wilson made a point of referencing there’s “been a lot of noise.” It shows the experienced signal-caller was aware of the calls for Dart to play and was not unmoved by the narrative his own skills are in decline.
Fortunately, Wilson had an answer for the noise. An emphatic response powered by his enduring talent.
Nobody, not Aaron Rodgers, nor Patrick Mahomes, throws the deep ball as well as Wilson. He proved as much with touchdowns of 29 yards to wide receiver Malik Nabers and 32 yards to fellow wideout Wan’Dale Robinson.
It was Wilson’s 48-yarder to Nabers that appeared to seal the game for the Giants amid a wild fourth quarter.
That’s not how things turned out because Wilson floated a needless pass to Wilson. The mistake made this game an emblem of Wilson’s career the last few years.
He can still take the top off coverage at any time, but Wilson always has a costly error or two in store for clutch moments. The latter trait cost the Giants this week and is why Dart’s name will stay in the news cycle.
Giants Slowly Introducing Jaxson Dart
It’s starting slow and small, but the Dart experiment has begun. He got onto the field for a handful of snaps, all running plays, but those reps showed the value of the 25th pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
Specifically, the threat of Dart’s mobility helped free fellow rookie, running back Cam Skattebo for a 24-yard gain. Carroll’s colleague Dan Duggan pointed out how you “can see how much the LBs flowed with Dart. Not getting that type of reaction with Wilson running the zone read.”
Giants head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka have been teasing a special package of plays for Dart. The plan is obviously still a work in progress, but the intent is already there for the Giants to get their future at football’s most important position more involved.
It means Wilson must continue putting up numbers like this week, but also find a way to ultimately win games.
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