Sportsnaut
There’s excitement surrounding the New York Giants as they continue their OTAs, and one of the reasons is rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Coaches and teammates have been impressed with Dart’s arm talent, and although you don’t want to make too much about how a player performs in OTAs, so far, he’s produced positive results.
As it stands now, the plan is to have Dart be the third-string quarterback behind Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. Barring an injury, Wilson is expected to remain the starter for as long as the playoffs are a realistic expectation for the team. But based on the fact that New York has the toughest schedule in the league, many feel it’s only a matter of time before the 22-year-old rookie makes his NFL debut.
Here’s a look at the best, worst, and most realistic scenarios for Dart to make his first NFL start.
Far too often over the past decade, the Giants season has been “unofficially over” by Halloween. In each of the last two seasons, the Giants have had a 2-6 record heading into their Week 9 matchup, and all but out of any realistic playoff scenario.
If that should happen again this season, expect Dart to make his first start against the 49ers at home. If the team is once again off to a slow start, the only hope for general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll to keep their jobs beyond this season is if Dart shows promise and gradually improves game after game.
It’s important for Dart to get playing experience this season, but if he’s starting at the midway point, it’s a sign that the team could be headed towards another double-digit loss season.
With Wilson as the starting quarterback and an improved roster that includes the third overall pick, Abdul Carter, the organization believes the team will be significantly better than it was a year ago. So the expectation is that the team will remain in contention for the playoffs.
The ideal scenario for New York would be to have their playoff seeding or playoff fate sealed by the time they face the Cowboys at home in the regular season finale. This would be the opportune time to have Dart make his debut at home against a division rival.
Ironically, Eli Manning won his first NFL game as a rookie in the season finale at home against the Cowboys in 2004. Dart would have the opportunity to achieve that same feat.
Most teams that elect not to start their rookie quarterback at the beginning of the season often look to the bye week for when the transition from a veteran QB to the rookie occurs. This scenario could play out this season for the Giants as they have a late bye in Week 14.
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