Jaxson Dart Gets Key Learning Experience in Giants' Week 15 Performance

The New York Giants offense outgained the Commanders, 384 net yards to 240. But that’s about as far as one can say the offense went on a rather weird type of day that, in the end, wasn’t good enough.

The Giants, despite outgaining the Commanders in yardage, only converted 16.7% of their third-down attempts (12 total). Their average gain per play was 5.7, 0.2 less than the Commanders. They were 0-for-1 on goal-to-goal, and they lost the time-of-possession battle, albeit slightly.

More importantly, though, this was a learning experience for rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, so let’s go ahead and kick off the reviews.

Quarterback

Jaxson Dart

Yes, the rookie missed a good half dozen (or more) throws, and no, he did not have his best game. It took him three early failed possessions (3-of-8 for 42 yards) to find his rhythm. Once he did, he started making good decisions, both with his arm, his legs, and his eyes.

On a bitterly cold day and under very windy conditions – this was Dart’s first taste of the Meadowlands wintry winds – his accuracy admittedly took some hits. He’s going to have to learn how to throw the ball late in the year in this place if he’s going to take this team anywhere.

Dart’s worst mental mistake of the day was a late throw to the last person on earth you want to throw late to – the interception magnet himself, Jalin Hyatt.

This mistake came from the pocket, the kind we want Dart making in this lost season. He needs to experience the ups and downs of his position and learn how to play in the pocket. This season is all about developing a franchise QB.

Dart hadn’t thrown an interception in four games. This was the time to throw one. What concerns us most about today’s game is that Dart seems not to be on the same page with his receivers.

His misses were not even close. This was the first game where Dart’s accuracy was an issue. We suspect the conditions and the field contributed to that.

Dart’s soft tosses were not knifing through the wind. He was finding his single-covered receivers, but he failed to throw them open, specifically Wan’Dale Robinson twice on the final possession.

And yet, a bit earlier, Dart threw Robinson open in the end zone on a fourth-down score, perhaps his best throw of the game. Another pretty throw was a back shoulder to Tyrone Tracy for a score.

Dart’s numbers were solid – 20-of-36, 246 yards, two touchdowns, one interception. He would have gone over 300 yards if Darius Slayton had not dropped two accurate throws, one of them a deep floater that fell harmlessly in the end zone off Slayton’s hands.

We thought Dart made a ton of quick, smart decisions in the pocket to avoid pressure; he went 63 yards on nine carries on the ground, including his longest run as a pro of 29 yards.

Two of these were designed runs between the tackles, which is not somewhere we want Dart butting heads.

He was removed from the game late when he disdained a pass and ran it himself. There was no reason for the removal, save for the media's drilled-in reputation that Dart is a walking concussion waiting to happen.

It will be up to the rookie to reinvent himself as a safe player. That’s one thing to focus on as this season fades away. The rookie has a lot to learn. Chalk up this week’s choppy start and finish to the conditions and learn from the experience.

Running Backs

Tyrone Tracy

Though Tracy still lacks the explosiveness that we like to see in a running back, he produced solid workmanlike numbers today, going 15 for 70 yards (4.7 avg.) plus three catches for 27 yards through the air.

Tracy scored on his longest run of 12 yards, while also scoring on a 19-yard back shoulder out-and-up route that Tracy snared neatly in the end zone.

He had a couple of runs where he gained yardage after contact, but for the most part, he did not run it up there with authority.

He also did not run away from the pursuit at all. And yet, he had a positive game because he came up big in big spots.

Devin Singletary

Going just 13 yards on five carries on the ground with one catch for one yard, Singletary didn’t have a whole lot of room to run. His blocking was his biggest contribution.

Receivers

Wan’Dale Robinson

The offense’s best receiver did not put up big numbers, but he had opportunities for several big plays; however, Robinson could not get on the same page with his quarterback.

Dart did find Robinson on a pretty fade in the end zone from 16 yards out, Robinson making the clutch fourth-down diving catch that made it a one-score game late.

Two subsequent intermediate routes found Robinson isolated with a step and an angle, but alas, his quarterback could not get him the ball.

Robinson finished with a team-leading five catches for 54 yards on 10 targets, with nary a drop.

Isaiah Hodgins

On two targets, Hodgins finished with one catch for four yards. His blocking was a disappointment as the Washington safeties kept beating him to the punch.

Darius Slayton

The fact that Slayton got a team-tying 10 targets tells you that today’s game plan was a bit out of whack. Everyone knows that Slayton is not a high-volume target and is, at best, a complementary one.

The last thing you want is going to Slayton too often in the clutch. He’ll only break your heart. And true to reputation, Slayton had two killer drops.

Slayton’s first drop was a soft-as-silk short slant throw that bounced off his stone hands, right when his young quarterback was getting into a nice rhythm. This third-down drop ended a second-half drive.

Slayton’s more egregious drop came at the end of the third quarter of a one-score game. Dart dropped a teardrop over Slayton’s shoulder on 2nd-&-20 from 35 yards out.

When the ball hit the turf, the air leaving the team was audible. The resulting missed field goal was all she wrote.

Slayton got one more target and actually beat single coverage, but the ball was late. Slayton caught just 4 of his 10 targets for 53 yards and once again proved that he’s not to be trusted in clutch situations.

Jalin Hyatt

Hyatt’s lone target became an interception when his route was read like a book by a Washington defender, while the ball was late coming out of the quarterback’s hand.

Want a wild set of stats? According to X/Twitter user DougAnalytics, Giants quarterbacks have thrown 7 INTs when targeting Jalin Hyatt over the course of his three-year career. That comes to 9.6% of his targets, the highest rate of any WR with 30+ targets since 2022.

This season, Hyatt has been targeted 14 times and has five receptions for 35 yards. Three of those targets have gone for interceptions.

That speaks for itself, ladies and gentlemen.

Dalen Cambre

Getting a couple of play-action snaps, Cambre’s crossing targets were smothered by the Washington defensive backs.

Tight Ends

Theo Johnson

We were disappointed with several of Johnson’s blocking efforts. He allowed a hit on his quarterback in pass pro, then missed several run blocks, allowing his man to make the pursuit tackle.

He also disappointed, taking a third-down screen pass deep in his own territory, but failed to stretch out while being tackled and came up short of the first-down marker.

The Giants had to punt from deep in their own territory as a result. Johnson responded with two big catches, a tough 42-yard catch up the seam, and another screen pass that went for 24 yards.

Daniel Bellinger

Oddly enough, Bellinger snagged all three of his pass targets on successive third-quarter snaps.

The first one came on a 4th-and-1 (12 yards), and then came catches of 13 and 10 yards. Bellinger also drew a pass interference penalty in the end zone.

His blocking throughout was solid.

Chris Manhertz

Getting just a handful of snaps, Manhertz’s blocking was physical and alert.

Offensive Line

Andrew Thomas

Talk about boring: Thomas once again pitched a pass-blocking shutout while also blasting people left and right with his power run-blocking.

Thomas is a quiet superstar who keeps dominating every week, yet he’s not in the top 10 at his position in the fan voting for the Pro Bowl, which simply boggles the mind.

Jermaine Eluemunor

What a strange game from this vet. In one series at the end of the first half, Eluemunor’s game fell apart as he allowed veteran OLB Von Miller to dip inside him for a big hit on the quarterback.

Then came an edge sack by Miller to make it 3rd-and-18. Next was a false start (at home!) to make it 3rd-and-23.

The resulting punt from the end zone was returned for a touchdown, and a close game had turned into a bit of a laugher.

Before and after this series of downs, Eluemunor’s pass pro game was solid. His run blocking was subpar throughout.

A pending free agent, Eluemunor certainly did not make himself any money this week.

Jon Runyan

The best thing about Runyan is his consistency. He was the offense’s best pass-blocking guard and its worst run-blocking guard.

He’s still not playing with enough physicality; he’s a soft run blocker, but he was sharp with his assignments.

Overall, he’s an average guard on a team that has to get better across the board.

Greg Van Roten

This vet was the O-line’s least effective blocker, especially with his pass-blocking, where he lost nearly as many as he won.

Batting .500 as a pass blocker is not the way to keep your job in this league. Van Roten’s very average mobility was the problem.

His run blocking was somewhat better, but it was also not a plus. Like his fellow guard, Van Roten was assignment-true.

John Michael Schmitz

This week wasn’t a top-shelf performance from Schmitz, but he was a consistently positive performer who was this unit’s second-best blocker.

His pass-blocking was superb, and this week may have been his best pass-blocking game of the year.

His run blocking was also a plus, though he was bounced around a couple of times. Still, for the most part, Schmitz was able to get into his man and stay with him.

A stupid, unsportsmanlike penalty in the second half blew up a drive and really hurt the team’s comeback chances.

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