Trend Continues At QB For Eagles' Defense

PHILADELPHIA - The NFL schedule has typecast quarterbacks for Eagles’ defensive coordinator Vic Fangio over a three-game stretch that will finish Thursday Night at MetLife Stadium when a 4-1 Philadelphia team visits the 1-4 New York Giants.

Tampa Bay’s Baler Mayfield, Denver’s Bo Nix, and now Giants rookie Jaxson Dart are all a little undersized with mobility, and a bit of a gunslinger mentality.

Fangio professed respect for the veteran Mayfield and mentioned Nix was like a little brother to the Tampa Bay starter. Now comes Dart, the Ole Miss product who has taken over for veteran Russell Wilson as the quarterback of the future for an embattled Giants braintrust.

“I like him. Another mobile quarterback,” Fangio said of Nix. “I think he's got that air about him to be a quarterback. I think he's confident in his abilities and in their offense. Got the gun run game to contend with. They'll run quarterback draws, quarterback-designed runs. He's good.

“I think they got themselves a quarterback.”

The Gun Run Game

Sep 28, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll coaches against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Dart made his first NFL start in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers and led the Giants to their only win of the young season, topping the then-unbeaten Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 28, by completing 13 of 20 passes for 111 yards and adding a rushing touchdown.

Dart’s second start wasn’t as successful as New Orleans earned its first win of the season by topping the Giants with 23 straight points en route to a 26-14 win. Forced to throw more on the road, it was a mixed bag for Dart, who finished 26-of-40 for 202 yards with two TDs and two interceptions.

Early on in Dart's career, as Fangio mentioned, the rookie's legs might be the biggest problem for the Eagles’ defense, especially without injured second-year star Malik Nabers at receiver. The rookie has run 19 times for 109 yards and a TD so far.

The Giants are still a work in progress from a skill-position standpoint so Dart is up against it against Fangio and his defense.

In theory, a short week of preparation should hurt Dart against the veteran top-tier defensive coordinator. However, the idea of a young, talented player relying on his DNA as a player rather than an overly structured game plan could be a sneaky problem for the Eagles, who enter Week 6 a game ahead of the Washington Commanders in the NFC East.

The Giants are at the bottom of the division with coach Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen trying to prove they deserve more time to develop Dart moving forward.

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