After a challenging start that saw the New York Giants fall to 0-3, the team made a bold move, replacing their starting quarterback, Russell Wilson, with rookie Jaxson Dart.
From there, things started to take off. New York would beat the Chargers in Week 4, and two weeks later, the Giants would achieve a significant victory against the defending world champion, the Philadelphia Eagles.
Now, New York is 2-4, and the vibe around the team has changed.
“Obviously, we should have won the three in a row,” Dart said on Wednesday. “That’s something that I look back on, and if we don’t have – we could have won that game(Saints) if we had four turnovers. But definitely just trying to learn from those experiences, learn from the good and from the bad of each of those games, and just trying to prepare for each week. But I think the vibe is just we’re trying to set a standard in the locker room, we’re trying to play tough, we’re trying to win at all costs. The guys are coming to work with the right mindset.”
On Sunday, Dart and the Giants will have another tough test when they go on the road to battle the Denver Broncos(4-2). This season, Denver has had one of the better defenses in football, and they do a great job of getting after the quarterback. The Broncos, who had nine sacks against the Jets last week, lead the NFL with 30 sacks. Dart knows the Broncos’ defense will be tough, and he believes it will be a good test for the offense.
“Obviously, the sacks stand out as the first thing and their ability to rush the passer at every down, not just third downs,” he said. “First of all, they’re just coached really well, and they play really well together. They play really hard. So, it’s going to be a really good test for us, one that I think that we’re all excited for just because, in my mind, I see them as one of the best defenses in the entire league. So, being able to just go out and compete, yeah, they do a lot of really good things and they’re coached really well.”
The last time Dart went on the road, he struggled in a loss to the Saints; Dart discussed what he learned from his first road game.
“You’ve got to be able to weather the storm,” he said. “Not everything’s going to be perfect. There’s going to be mistakes. There’s going to be momentum shifts throughout every game. I think for us, just trying to weather all that and regardless of good things that are happening or bad things, being able to reset each and every play to try to put our team in the best situation.”
If the Giants are to overcome the Broncos, Dart must deliver his best performance yet. This game presents a significant learning opportunity for the young quarterback, which should aid in his development.
