The Good, Great, and Ugly of NY Giants QB Jaxson Dart's Week 4 Starting Debut

We break down New York Giants QB Jaxson Dart's first start in the NFL.

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) throws the ball during a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at MetLife Stadium, Sep 28, 2025, East Rutherford, NJ, USA. | Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart's first career start was a success because he won; everything else is secondary.  

Additionally, because it was a victory, it makes it easier to evaluate his performance honestly. 

We can lean in and appreciate the athleticism he demonstrated as a runner. We can marvel at the arm talent he displayed while throwing the ball, and we can recognize that some of his decision-making as a passer still needs improvement. 

Let's take a look at the good, the great, and the ugly from the Giants’ franchise quarterback’s first start.

The Good: Rushing Ability

The Good from Jaxson Dart's first game for the #NYgiants    was his ability to make plays with his legs. pic.twitter.com/UVhUL0D50T

— Coach Gene Clemons (@geneclemons) October 3, 2025

One of the main reasons for the change at quarterback seems to be the rushing dynamics that Dart brings to the offense. 

We had already seen the offense use Dart as a runner in a package of plays before he took over as the full-time starter in Week 4. 

When he is operating as a passer, he has the explosiveness to leave the pocket and gain ground instantly. He also possesses the vision to set up and read blocks on plays where he is the designated rusher. 

The final aspect of him as a runner, which is really underrated, is that he is tough! You could actually say that he may be too tough for his own good, and that it can teeter on recklessness. 

Dart does not have any fear of contact; in fact, he is usually trying to lower his shoulder to deliver the blow. 

It is a great attribute as a runner, but also one that needs to be tempered as a quarterback. 

He will hopefully learn to know when to utilize his toughness and when to conserve his energy for another day.

The Great: Arm Talent on Short/Intermediate Passes

The Great from Jaxson Dart's first start of the season for the #NYGiants was how live his arm looked. It looked like he was handing it off to receivers in the short to intermediate areas when he passed it. pic.twitter.com/2m5XjoEKVK

— Coach Gene Clemons (@geneclemons) October 3, 2025

Dart has tremendous arm talent, and it's incredibly evident when he throws the football short or at the intermediate level. 

If you were drawing a line from him to his receiver using his pass as the guide, it would be a straight line with little to no curve in it. 

The ball jumps out of his hands when he delivers the pass. It allows him to deliver the football before defenders can close on the pass. This is particularly useful when passes are made across the middle, especially when defensive backs are bearing down on one of his receivers. 

When Dart is on the move, he can fire the football without coming to a balance, especially when he is trying to escape up the middle. He can transition from runner to passer seamlessly and get the ball into the hands of a receiver quickly. 

When you mix the velocity with his accuracy, he can deliver the ball to any place on a receiver, without much effort, in an area where only his guy can grab it. 

It does not matter if he is on the move or standing in the pocket; the ball gets delivered quickly.

The Ugly: Taking Easy, Open Area Throws

The Ugly from Jaxson Dart's first #NYGiants game was knowing when to get it to the underneath receiver or identify the open downfield receiver. pic.twitter.com/iTF0qucrTr

— Coach Gene Clemons (@geneclemons) October 3, 2025

One of the best pieces of advice that a quarterback can receive is to take the easy completions. 

The natural ego of a quarterback can cause them to overlook simple throws in favor of more lucrative ones. It can also cause them to lock onto a target and miss others that are open. 

In his first game, Dart had a few instances where he could have thrown the ball to an open receiver. 

In some instances, he passed up a short, easy completion to look for a deeper route and ran out of time before the rush was able to reach him. 

In other instances, he seemed locked in on one receiver and simply missed the other receivers he could have hit. 

These are certainly things he will improve with, the more he plays, but part of it is simply his nature. 

He's not afraid to go big game hunting, and occasionally, the hunt will yield no prize. Hopefully, he will curtail that as he matures in the league.  

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