Broncos Defensive Players Weigh in on Giants QB Jaxson Dart

Like it or not, New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart is a big reason why people around the league are suddenly seeing Big Blue in a whole new light.

Understandably so. With Dart now under center, the Giants have won two of their last three games, both wins coming against 2024 postseason contenders, including the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles.

“Obviously, we should have won the three in a row. That's something that I look back on, and if we don’t have - we could have won that game if we had four turnovers,” Dart said on Wednesday.

Out in Denver, members of the league’s second-best defense offered their respect to Dart when asked about the rookie, but at the same time, some didn’t seem ultra-impressed by what the former Ole Miss signal caller has accomplished in such a short time.

“The team is rallying behind him. He is very confident. It seems like he’s playing with a chip on his shoulder. You can just see the poise and intangibles,” said Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II.

“He can make every throw across the field. A very underrated part of his game is his scrambling and his ability to create second-chance opportunities for his offense on the run.

“You saw it last week against Philly. He had a few possessions where he made plays with his feet. That is something we will have to take into account, but I think he will be a great player for sure in this league.”

Linebacker Jonathon Cooper, on the other hand, didn’t seem as enamored by what Dart has accomplished in such a short time.

Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper didn't sound too impressed by what Jaxson Dart has shown so far. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

“He’s a young guy. He’s feelin’ himself a little bit. He’s out there running around. He’s got the chain on. He’s dancing. I feel like everybody needs something, you know?” Cooper said.

“We’ve gone against QBs who have run around the pocket and try to do stuff with their legs, so ain’t nothing we haven't seen.”

Cooper shook his head when asked if facing a rookie quarterback is a double-edged sword.

“I would say no. Not to that standpoint because once you have played enough in this league, you’ve seen enough good quarterbacks. We play one of the best quarterbacks (Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes) twice a year every single year,” he said.

“So once you go against that, you kind of get a feel of the game, and you know what you need to do. You have to make him feel uncomfortable in the pocket, can’t let him get that confidence and that ego going. We just have to take care of that.”

Dart, for his part, offered respect for the Broncos' defense, which leads the league in sacks. He acknowledged the magnitude of the challenge that defense will pose when the Giants try to end the Broncos’ seven-game home winning streak on Sunday.

“Obviously, the sacks stand out as the first thing and their ability to rush the passer at every down, not just third downs,” Dart said.

“First of all, they're just coached really well, and they play really well together. They play really hard. So, it's going to be a really good test for us, one that I think that we're all excited for.”

While facing a top-10 defense isn’t something new for Dart–the Chargers came into MetLife Stadium in Week 4 with a top-10 unit–he admitted that the Broncos are a defense that’s “keeping me up” as he looks to ensure no stone goes unturned in his preparation to achieve the Giants' first back-to-back regular-season wins since 2023.

“It’s just trying to keep the main thing, the main thing,” Dart said. “We understand that if we don't come to work the right way with the same intensity, the right mindset, that we'll lose.

“So, we have to be detailed, we have to be committed and persistent in our study habits, and be able to prepare for each game.”

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