New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart looked the part of a franchise guy in the Week 1 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
The New York Giants kicked off the John Harbaugh era with a bang, taking down the rival Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football in Week 1.
New York controlled most of the game against Dallas, showing all the improvement and work from the offseason. But one of the more impressive feats in this showing was the play of quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Dart completed 23-of-29 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns through the air. On the ground, he rushed for 54 yards, continuing his dual-threat abilities from a year ago.
Now in his second season, Dart looked much stronger, helping the Giants get a big win to open the year. His performance set the tone for New York, giving them a chance to knock off a division rival.
Following the performance, Dart jumped up a ranking of quarterbacks around the NFL heading into Week 2. After coming in ranked at No. 21 entering the season, Dart is now ranked at No. 9 on Henry McKenna's list at Fox Sports.
"He took what the defense gave him. That’s basically the first rule of quarterbacking. His completion percentage over expected was +10.9%, and he attempted a fairly modest 17.2% tight-window throws. His time to throw was just 2.64 seconds, showing he was quick to get the ball out of his hands," McKenna wrote.
Dart looked much more poised and composed in the pocket, with his decision-making showing improvement. This is exactly what the Giants wanted to see from their franchise quarterback at the start of his second season.
While this game did come against a poor defense in the Cowboys, Dart will gain confidence with each rep he gets in the league. Dart has a lot of skill at the position, and the Giants have been very high on his upside, believing he is the guy to take them to the top.
Against Dallas, Dart showed the ability to lead the offense well, even when moments got tight. Of course, he will continue to learn as the season goes on, but his play from this game should only help him down the line.
Dart and the Giants will have another chance to show what they can do when they face off against the Los Angeles Rams on the road. Los Angeles is coming off a poor Week 1 performance, so the Giants will need to be ready for the Rams' best game coming up.
