Giants' Jaxson Dart Delivers TD After Players Push Harbaugh to Finish Drive

John Harbaugh planned to cut practice short, but Jaxson Dart, Darius Slayton and the offense pushed for one more shot—and delivered a touchdown that spoke to the team's new mentality.

White Sulphur Springs, WV, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton (18) and quarterback Jaxson Dart connected on a touchdown pass on Friday that almost didn't happen. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh began envisioning what kind of team he would have for his first year at the Big Blue helm, he likely hoped for a tough group of players who would not back down from anything even in the most adverse times.

He appears to have gotten his wish, as evidenced by a single play that went down in Friday’s penultimate practice at The Greenbrier.

The Giants, who typically close their practice sessions with a team drill, had just gone through over a dozen plays in the team period, but the offense came up short of scoring.

“That last drive, that long drive period we did at the end, they executed a lot of plays there,” Harbaugh said.

“One thing you learn in those kinds of periods is you get frustrated with a play you don't make, but on offense you get two more chances. You still have an opportunity. If you make a play, you keep a drive alive and kind of break out. So, that's kind of how that worked in that drive right there.”

Harbaugh, in allowing the first-team offense another play to finish the drive, was rewarded when quarterback Jaxson Dart connected with wide receiver Darius Slayton for a touchdown.

“We wanted it, because Harbs was trying to save us,” said rookie offensive lineman Sisi Mauigoa. “He didn't want goal-line stuff, but we wanted it. That shows you how tough and what the mentality of the team is.”

The sequence of events undoubtedly pleased Harbaugh, who has run a physically demanding and fast-paced training camp.

“Yeah, I'd say you're right. I mean, I wasn't going to do it. Like I was going to stand firm because we're doing some goal-line tomorrow, and then I kind of thought what you thought. I said, ‘Wow, they want to do it. Let's do it.’”

“We want to finish,” Mauigoa said. “Coach calling the twos in, we're like, ‘What the (heck)?’”

They got their wish, and they delivered in a small yet very significant way for a team that in years past might have been content to leave the field as instructed finishing the drive.

That mindset the players showed bodes well for when things start counting for real next month.

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