Jaxson Dart 1st Start Breakdown

New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart made his first career start in Week 4. Dart led the Giants to an unlikely 21-18 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. It was a dreamlike debut for a potential franchise quarterback.

Dart completed 13-of-20 passing attempts for 111 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions. The dual-threat Dart also rushed for 54 yards and an additional score via 10 scrambles. The former Ole Miss standout was effective with his arm and legs.

Dart opened the scoring with a 15-yard rushing touchdown on the Giants' first possession. It was a well-designed run call by Brian Daboll. Dart took the snap and quickly burst through the middle after receiving an outstanding spring-block from rookie running back Cam Skattebo. The rookie QB accounted for 48 yards on the drive.

Dart's rouchdown pass arrived at an opportune moment. Leading 13-10 in the dying moments of a critical third quarter, the Giants were facing a 2nd-and-goal from the Chargers' 3-yard line. Dart took the shotgun snap, faked a pitch to Skattebo, and completed a shuffle pass to sophomore tight end Theo Johnson. It was another brilliant play-call by Daboll.

Dart became the first quarterback in the last 20 seasons to win his first career start against a 3-0 team-or-better.

Dart’s toughness was routinely on display. His energy and want-to are infectious. On this 3rd-and-1 in the red zone with 8:17 remaining, Dart bounced off multiple defenders to convert a gritty first down. The drive ended with a turnover on downs, but his moxie was notable.

Dart and the Giants' offense also overcame unexpected adversity. Superstar wide receiver Malik Nabers suffered a season-ending torn ACL. Dart maintained composure despite losing his go-to target.

Daboll had a brilliant game plan for his rookie quarterback with an emphasis on the quick passing game. Dart's average time-to-throw was 2.48 seconds, according to Next Gen Stats. That's fourth-fastest among all quarterbacks heading into Monday Night Football.

Dart protected the football by committing zero turnovers. His quarterback rating was a stellar 96.0, though his adjusted QBR was 44.1, per ESPN. Dart's average completed air yards (CAY) was a safe 3.5.

The majority of Dart's passes were attempted in the short-to-intermediate areas. Dart had 13 of his 20 passing attempts within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage, per NGS's tracking data. The first-round quarterback was 0-for-2 on deep balls.

Dart played efficiently. His total Expected Points Added (EPA) was a positive 0.6, according to RBSDM. His EPA per play was 0.02. For comparative purposes, Justin Herbert posted a -13.4 EPA. Dart took over for Wilson, who posted a -9.6 EPA last week.

Sunday was the ideal debut for Dart, who led the Giants to a memorable victory over a Jim Harbaugh-coached Chargers squad with a perfect record. Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen believe they've found their long-term solution at quarterback.