EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — It was never going to be easy for the New York Giants, but Jaxson Dart gave them the boost they needed to stop their 0-3 skid and earn their first win of the season.
Dart operated at a brisk pace. He relied heavily on the run game, rushing for 54 yards and handing the ball off to Cam Skattebo 25 times, as the Giants’ running back rushed for 79 yards.
The rookie quarterback completed 13 of 20 passes. He struggled to complete several long, down-field passes, but showed flashes of brilliance throughout the Giants’ 21-18 win Sunday over the Los Angeles Chargers at MetLife Stadium — mostly on his own legs.
Dart’s first drive was an indication of what the 22-year-old can offer the Giants moving forward. New York gained 89 yards on nine plays, capped off by a 15-yard touchdown run to put the Giants on the board early.
“It wasn’t perfect, I didn’t expect it to be in his first game,” Giants head coach Brian Daboll said after the victory. “Thought he made good decisions, thought we ran the ball world. … I think that young man played well within himself. I’m happy we got him.”
Here are three takeaways from the Giants’ win Sunday.
Jaxson Dart shows off his run ability
The Chargers hadn’t allowed a first-quarter touchdown all season.
Dart worked downfield with handoffs to Cam Skattebo and short passes to Malik Nabers. At the Chargers’ 15, Dart found a hole up the middle and took the ball to the endzone for a touchdown.
The Giants settled for two field goals on Dart’s third and fourth drives, as they built a 13-3 lead.
Early in the second half, Dart showed off his legs again with a scramble for 39 yards, but an offensive holding penalty resulted in a 10-yard infraction.
Giants injury report: Malik Nabers feared to have torn his ACL
Nabers was carted off the field in the second quarter while attempting to come down with a deep ball from Dart.
He was downgraded to out during halftime. The Giants believe Nabers suffered a torn ACL on the play. He will undergo an MRI on Monday.
Dart was reportedly playing through a hamstring injury. In the third quarter, he briefly left the game to be evaluated for a concussion, but soon returned.
Giants’ defense comes up with two interceptions
The Giants conceded 203 passing yards to Justin Herbert, but intercepted him twice.
On the Chargers’ third drive, Dexter Lawrence II picked off Herbert at the 40 and ran it back for 37 yards. This was his first career interception. Jude McAtamney kicked a 31-yard field goal on the play to put the Giants up by 10.
Just inside the 4:00 mark of the third quarter, Dru Phillips intercepted Herbert at the 41 and ran it back 56 yards. On the ensuing drive, Dart flipped the ball to Theo Johnson for a three-yard touchdown. The Giants completed the two-point conversion and took a commanding 21-10 lead.
