Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart helped the New York Giants save their season for at least one week via a 21-18 home win over the previously unbeaten Los Angeles Chargers that improved the Giants to 1-3 this past Sunday.
As ESPN’s Jordan Raanan noted, however, Dart also took 17 hits at MetLife Stadium that left him a bit beat up as he and the Giants prepare to play at the 0-4 New Orleans Saints this coming Sunday.
While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Dart addressed concerns about his playing style after he dealt with a sore hamstring and was evaluated for a concussion in Week 3.
Jaxson Dart sounds ready to keep taking risks
“I ran the ball a lot in college,” Dart explained. “There were definitely times in college where my body felt it after games. It’s just football. You’re not always going to feel 100 percent after the game. But we have a really good training staff here. We have a lot of assets to use to make sure our bodies are ready for the next week. These last few days have been really crucial for me in making sure I’m on the right track and 100 percent for Sunday.”
Dart recorded 54 rushing yards and a touchdown on 10 carries versus the Chargers. One of those runs included the first-year pro attempting to throw a stiff arm at a would-be tackler near the opposing 10-yard line.
“Maybe that’s not the smartest with my throwing hand,” Dart acknowledged about that particular play, according to the Giants’ website. Dart then joked that he “didn’t really like the way [Chargers defensive back Cam Hart] was looking at me” at that moment.
Jaxson Dart playing with no regrets as QB1
Jared Dubin of CBS Sports mentioned that Dart took five sacks on 28 dropbacks against the Chargers and “had a chance to do something else with the ball before (whether take off and run or throw it away)” on at least three of those plays. History suggests Dart will soon become a spectator if he doesn’t do better to avoid the type of punishment he endured on Sept. 28, but he insisted on Wednesday he’s willing to put his body on the line to help the Giants earn wins.
“I felt like some of the sacks that I took were kind of the biggest ones hit-wise that I felt like I could have avoided,” Dart added. “I felt like in the open field, a lot of them were on third down, so I’m not going to slide before the sticks. I’m going to try to get the first down. I don’t really regret any of those decisions that I made.”
As of Thursday morning, ESPN BET had the Giants as 1.5-point underdogs against the Saints.
