The New York Giants have one final preseason game to play, hosting the New England Patriots on Thursday night. In truth, though, attention has turned toward setting the 53-man roster and preparing for the start of the regular season.
Here are a few ‘things I think’ as the Giants turn that corner.
Jaxson Dart continues to impress
The rookie quarterback played so well in the first two preseason games, highlighted by going 14 of 16 on Saturday against the New York Jets with a touchdown and 13 straight completions, that you knew someone
would broach the question — for the umpteenth time — with Giants head coach Brian Daboll.
Could Dart do anything to challenge Russell Wilson — right now — for the starting job?
Daboll answered the question the same way he has over and over since the Giants traded up to select Dart No. 25 in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“Russ is our starter,” he said.
Maybe the most impressive thing about the 22-year-old Dart to this point is that nothing has seemed to big for him — on the field or off. He has never seemed uncomfortable or over his head. That includes his dealings with the media.
The first time he spoke to media in person he asked everyone to identify themselves so he could put a name to a face. He has continued to say and do the right things.
Daboll wasn’t the only one to be asked Saturday evening about Dart becoming the starter. A reporter — I won’t tell you which one — baited the young quarterback with an “are you ready for more opportunities with the first team?” question. Basically, daring Dart to say he felt ready to compete for the starting job.
Truth is, Dart should — and probably does — feel capable of starting. He should — and probably does — want to be the starter.
Dart, though, sidestepped the question like it was an onrushing defensive lineman. Or, like he was an old pro.
“I think that I’m just trying to improve myself each and every day,” Dart said. “The quarterback room has played at a very high level. A lot of the guys in my room who I really look up to, so I try to continue to pick their brains.
“I’m in a really unique and cool situation right now. So I’m just trying to learn from them, learn from all my coaches. Whenever my number is called, I think that I’m just going to try to do my best. But I’m also just going to be the best teammate that I can be and try to push this team in the best direction to win.”
Perfectly played.
Dart has impressed at every turn since the Giants drafted him. He has not been perfect — no one ever will be. But, he has done nothing to make you believe that he does not have the talent to become a good NFL quarterback, or the demeanor to handle a hungry New York/New Jersey media that is never afraid to criticize or stir up a controversy.
Dart has handled every situation Daboll has thrown at him this spring and summer, including Saturday night when — out of nowhere — he stuck Dart in the game for a single second-quarter play with the starters.
“I was like ‘Serious?’ He was like, ‘Yeah.’ I was like, ‘Alright,’” Dart said. “ I didn’t know that I was going to go in for one play and come back out.
Dart handled that smoothly, completing a screen pass to Theo Johnson that ended up being a 30-yard gain.
After going 14 of 16 with touchdowns throwing and running on Saturday, Dart was annoyed by the one play he did not make.
“Honestly, the third-down that I had where the guy clipped my ankles is going to haunt me for a little bit,” Dart said. “That’s the thought that is in my head right now, but I think that the most important thing is us getting the win. I want us to continue to expect these kinds of things as a team and build on these moments and just have fun winning and playing the game. The most important thing was to come out here and win.
“I should have scored [on it]. If I had gotten my feet up, I would have scored.”
The question of when — not if — Dart will eventually replace Wilson and be handed the keys to the franchise will hang over the Giants until it inevitably happens. Whether that is this year or next, no one knows. Probably not even Daboll or GM Joe Schoen.
When that time comes I don’t know if Dart will succeed or fail. I do know that the rookie quarterback could likely not be off to a better start.
The Andrew Thomas problem
I think the health of the star left tackle, who remains on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list is probably the biggest question mark for the Giants as the regular season approaches.
There have been reports that there is still a belief within the Giants organization that Thomas will be in the lineup Week 1 against the Washington Commanders.
Let’s hope that is right, but I would not count on it. A source indicated to me recently that there is uncertainty about Thomas, who is still feeling the effects of Lisfranc surgery.
Maybe Thomas is activated from the PUP list this week. Maybe the Giants wait until a few days before the season opener to do that. Perhaps this will end up looking like the Wan’Dale Robinson situation in 2023. The Giants activated Robinson, recovering from a torn ACL, shortly before the season began but did not play him until Week 3.
If Thomas returns healthy and looks like the All-Pro caliber player he was before injuries derailed his last couple of seasons, I don’t think the Giants will mind waiting a little bit longer.
Week 1 readiness
By now, I am sure Daboll is tired of answering questions about getting his team ready for Week 1. Particularly from me.
I started asking the coach about being ready for the season opener against the Commanders on the first day of training camp.
At that time, I asked Daboll what changes he would make to get the team off to a better start than it has had the past two seasons, when the Giants have lost season openers AT HOME to the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings by a combined score of 68-6.
At the time, Daboll said this:
“We’ve changed on a yearly basis and we think we have a process set in place with the players that we have right now to be ready to go. We’re going to have to be.”
Why have I been a pest about it? Because it is actually worse than 68-6. In three season-openers under Daboll, the Giants have scored three total points in the first half.
They have to face the Commanders and Dallas Cowboys on the road to open the season, followed by home games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers.
Few people expect them to win any of those games. They certainly won’t if they look like the rag-tag, sloppy, unprepared team they were at the beginning of the last two seasons.
They have had a good summer. They are 2-0 in the preseason and have scored a combined 65 points. They look like, and believe they are, a competitive football team. At the risk of being accused of jinxing them, the Giants have yet to suffer any major injuries to star players since the start of training camp.
Now, though, they face another issue. Front-line players almost certainly won’t play Thursday night in the preseason finale against the New England Patriots. That means they will go 22 days with a fractured practice schedule and without real competition.
As ready as the Giants look right now, I asked Daboll on Sunday how he would keep them that way for three weeks without live action. That is an eternity in the NFL.
Daboll, of course, deflected.
“We’re just going to focus on this week here, our walk-through, our practice on Tuesday,” Daboll said. “We’ll take it day-by-day here and continue to try to improve.”
Whatever he does, I think he better get it right. Daboll can ill-afford a third straight embarrassing beginning to a season.
Dante Miller’s emergence well-timed
I find it funny that as recently as last week I was receiving questions to the Big Blue View Mailbag about the idea of cutting or trading veteran running back Devin Singletary to create cap space. It looks like, at least at the beginning of the season, the Giants are going to need both Singletary and second-year back Dante Miller.
Exciting rookie running back Cam Skattebo has not practiced for the past couple of weeks with a hamstring injury. Best guess right now is that Skattebo probably can’t be counted on to begin the season and could begin the season on IR. He would have to miss the first four games before being designated to return should that happen.
So, Singletary and Miller, who is having an impressive preseason, will likely be needed as backups for Tyrone Tracy.
