New York Giants Quarterback Breakdown from Preseason Week 1

The New York Giants quarterback room underwent a massive overhaul during the offseason which was expected to be a vast upgrade from what it had in years past.

In the preseason opener, the group did not disappoint. Every quarterback led the offense on a scoring drive, with all but Russell Wilson hitting the end zone on his lone drive. The Giants also had four of their 13 total offensive possessions go for 10+ plays, all of them resulting in points, as they held the lead for most of the game.

Let’s go ahead and zero in on the individual performances–what we liked and what we didn’t.

Russell Wilson

Wilson received one possession as a starter in the preseason opener. That possession was torpedoed by two penalties (including a false start against left tackle James Hudson III and a holding infraction). And yet it produced three points as Wilson handled an efficient short-passing offense, going 6-of-7 for 28, leading to the field goal.

Wilson looked sharp and alert and was accurate with the ball. He looked like a guy in charge. Wilson has so many pelts on the wall, it’s easy to see why this entire team has responded to him so well and so quickly.

This team has been starving for legit quarterback play and leadership. It should be interesting to see if Wilson’s presence and 37-year-old arm can lead this chronically underachieving unit out of the wilderness.

Jaxson Dart

Dart followed Wilson on the second series of the game, and he played the rest of the first half. There were many more positives than negatives.

The biggest negative was that Dart air-mailed several of his early throws, but once he got his feet wet, his game improved by leaps and bounds.

He came right out of the chute, throwing accurate short passes on schedule. He kept several plays alive against pressure with good movement.

He navigated the pocket on several occasions, buying himself time and then completing throws.

His best play was the 28-yard touchdown toss to receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey on a go route that defeated a blitz. Dart took a hit on this throw, but it didn’t affect the pass as it was picture-perfect. It was a big-time play.

He also executed several nifty screen passes and hurt the Bills with his legs. The coaches ran a designed quarterback draw for him, as showing the league what Dart can do with his legs will help slow down the inside pass rush when he’s behind center.

Later on, Dart did a great job avoiding pressure and scrambling for a big first down of 19 yards. These types of scrambles can break a defense’s back.

It’s obvious that Dart likes to run with the ball and will eventually have to learn how to slide to avoid the big hits. He led the offense in rushing yardage.

His pocket movement was also solid (zero sacks taken). Overall, the rookie made a lot of good decisions in running the offense smoothly, and he made enough big throws to back off the defense.

One game into his NFL experience, and this kid already looks the part. Many hurdles lie ahead, and he will be tested, but this performance was a good first step.

Dart not only passed the eyeball test, but his numbers were equally solid: 12-of-19, 154 yards, one touchdown, no sacks, 24 rushing yards.

Jameis Winston

The Giants front office made a concerted effort to improve their quarterback room this offseason, and did they get it right!

Signing the veteran Winson early in free agency to a two-year contract was a really smart move. Winston is one of the better backups in the league, and is loaded with talent, most of it below the neck.

He took over the quarterback reins at the start of the third quarter, and though it didn’t start well – his first two possessions went nowhere – his third possession opened up some eyes.

It didn’t start too well when a questionable intentional grounding flag put his offense in a hole. On the very next snap, Winston did what he always does. On a long yardage play he forced a throw into the middle of the field for an interception which was negated by a defensive offsides flag.

Winson then went to work from there, carrying his fellow backups on a touchdown drive and a 2-point conversion to give the team the lead. His day ended with solid numbers: 7 of 11 for 62 yards, one touchdown, no sacks, and a big third-down scramble in the red zone for 12 yards and a first down.

Like his fellow quarterbacks, Winston knew where to go with the ball most of the time. His penchant for throwing balls to the other team is why he’s not a starter, but he still has a lot going for him, including a lot of game experience, good size, a big arm, and a team-first attitude.

Tommy DeVito

We were surprised but happy to see that the coaches left some snaps for DeVito, who currently sits fourth on the depth chart at the position.

DeVito contributed to the touchdown parade as part of his efficient numbers (10 of 14 for 73 yards). The most experienced quarterback in this offense, DeVito, ran a smooth operation.

DeVito is mostly a safe, check-it-down kind of quarterback with a backup NFL career likely in his future. The good news is that he knows this offense, and he knows his limitations.

He has a strong arm, and in fact, he threw a pretty deep ball that probably should have been caught more often. DeVito is a solid depth piece at a position of sudden strength.

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Russell Wilson

Jaxson Dart

Jameis Winston

Tommy DeVito

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