New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart had the perfect answer on Tuesday when asked about the fact that the Sept. 13 season-opener against the Dallas Cowboys will be his first game action in almost a month.
How could the second-year quarterback be sharp?
“Every day I’m going against (defensive coordinator) Dennard’s (Wilson) defense, the great players that we have, the scheme that’s in place, and those are some of the best reps that I’m going to get going into Week 1,” Dart said. “So, I’ve been very grateful
for those because I would say early on in camp there was a lot of things that maybe caught me by surprise, and against a defense that I haven’t really had a ton of experience playing against. But I think it’s just made myself and this team a lot better, and I don’t take those reps for granted.
“So, I feel like those are the best reps I could possibly get each and every day.”
Dart played 14 snaps in the Sept. 15 preseason opener against the Minnesota Vikings, and did not appear in the final two preseason games.
Head coach John Harbaugh acknowledged the concern about Dart’s lack of playing time in preseason.
“We have to make sure the practices are the kind of practices that put pressure on him as much as possible,” Harbaugh said. “So, as game-like as we possibly can make them, so he’s ready to go.”
Dart seems to think that is exactly what it happening.
Here are more takeaways from Dart’s Tuesday media availability:
On Odell Beckham making the team …
“I would say it’s pretty nostalgic. Just, as a kid, that’s like an icon, in a way where you feel like he changed the game a little bit. You’re in your backyard as a young kid, talking about, ‘Odell,’ when you catch it one hand, or just things like that. So, that part, it’s a really cool experience. From a player standpoint, really just proud of him. He came in here, he earned it. He got better each and every week, and he’s playing his best ball since he got here right now, from just alignment, assignment, playing fast, getting open, making plays. So, really proud of him, and just the dedication that he’s put in to get into this point. And he’s a great teammate as well. So, there’s a lot that we, as younger guys, can learn from him. And he’s still a great player.”
On when he knew Beckham could still play …
“I think I started to realize that, probably like when you said, just the extra work that we put in in the offseason where – you hear stories like this and you don’t really know how dedicated somebody’s going to be when they walk into a situation like this because he’s damn near had it all, right? He’s experienced and had so much success. But I knew he was serious when he’s flying out across the country to come throw with me, to get those extra reps in. And when you just have that one-on-one time, you see his talent and the things that make him a special player. So, I think just from those experiences and him growing each and every week, you realize that he’s still got it.”
On what he likes about the team’s new offense …
“There’s just a lot of answers. There’s a lot of plays that you can get to. There’s a lot of options that you can get to, and it lets us just go out there and play football. It lets the creators that we have make plays, get open in space, and us just being on the same page and getting a ton of reps has really helped. And I definitely feel like we’ve taken a lot of really big strides.”
On his progress from the spring …
“I feel so much better. I feel in command. I feel confident. In this offense, there’s a lot that’s put on the quarterback’s plate, but it’s exactly how I want it. It’s exactly how I viewed this coming together. And we still have a lot of room to improve and grow as a unit, but I’m definitely feeling way better each and every day, continuing to learn, continuing to grow as a player, and just the comfort in the offense, seeing the defense and putting ourselves in great situations.
On potentially having Malik Nabers in the lineup Week 1 …
“He’s just a game-changing player. So, whenever he’s out there on the field, whenever his time is ready for us as a team, I think it’s going to change a lot, and I can’t wait for that time to come. But at the same time, I think that we’ve done a really good job of putting ourselves in position to be ready and be prepared for any situation that may come our way.
“So, guys have stepped up and done a really good job, and like I said, whenever his time is to come back, we’re all going to be really excited, and he’s a game-changing player.”
