An Open Letter to Jaxson Dart: Questions Heading Into Week 6

Dear Jaxson Dart, 

I think I speak for many Giants fans when I say that we’ve been mildly impressed through two weeks with you as the starter. Obviously, a loss to the Saints wasn’t the outcome anyone wanted, but a five-turnover performance isn’t the norm (hopefully).

Despite a 1-1 record and a brutal season-ending injury, I can’t say I’ve had more fun watching the Giants over a two-week stretch in years besides maybe Tommy Devito’s Linsanity run. But even then, it wasn’t because I was hopeful for the future, like I am now. 

However, fair or not, this is New York, and fans will be quick to turn on you if promising play doesn’t end up turning into some wins here soon. Your coach, your team, and your fan base are counting on you to build momentum for the future and continue to grow as a player to prove your worth as a first-round pick. 

I think you have what it takes to be a plus starter in the league: a strong arm, good mobility, and a presence that can thrive under the immense pressure of being QB1 for the New York Giants. The last Ole Miss quarterback to come through here left mighty big shoes to fill, but you have the tools to fill them if the right cast surrounds you.

That’s in the future, though; for now, I have some questions about how you feel about the season so far and how the team can move forward despite a slow start.

1. The past two weeks, the team has jumped out to double-digit leads early; how important is it to you personally to have a fast start on offense?

2. You and Cam Skattebo are both running hard so far this year. Have you picked up anything from him as far as running style?

As two rookies who’ve been tasked with shouldering an entire offense 4 weeks into their careers, Dart and Skattebo have looked good all things considered, despite Sunday's results. The offense looks better than it did with Russ (when he was playing an actual defense with a pulse), and the most exciting part has been the tough running of the QB and RB. Darts’ run on fourth down against the Chargers particularly stands out in my mind as Skattebos' intense running style rubbing off on him. 

3. Obviously, losing your best receiver is tough, but you’ve had a nice connection with the tight ends so far. Who else needs to step up in Malik Nabers’ absence?

4. Off the field, you carry a confidence and charisma that’s palpable to fans. How do you carry that confidence with you onto the field, especially if the results aren’t there?

Dart is a player heavily reliant on swagger and confidence, and running can be a way to achieve that, but he also needs a vertical passing game. Without Nabers, the Giants don’t have the weapons to stretch the field vertically. Dart had a similar situation last year, where his best receiver, Tre Harris,  missed time, and there were games where his confidence was shaken early. He seemed unable to recover (Florida, especially) emotionally. I want to know how he can bring some of the confidence from off the field, whether it’s in interviews or playing Kendama, to be a tide that rises the ships around him, even when the wins may not be there. 

5. Coach Daboll said in the preseason that he wants you to be ready for anything. How did being inserted in early games against the Cowboys and Chiefs help you now that you’re the main guy?

I want to dig a little deeper into Daboll and Darts' relationship. Many fans questioned the move to put dart in when he did, so I’d like to know how Jaxson feels about it, especially in his tone and word choice. 

6. Obviously, you had a ton of success at Ole Miss, but your freshman year, you were on a 4-8 USC team and thrust into action as a young player. What did you learn from that experience that you can carry into this season?

Jaxson Dart came out of high school highly rated from Utah, and he was thrust into the spotlight as a freshman, starting six games for a bad USC team that saw its coach fired mid-season. The situation is definitely similar to what he’s going through now, so I’d like to know what he took away from that and how he can build off of this season, no matter the result, because he did it before. 

7. You got to play under a great offensive mind in Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss, but he’s also dealt with media scrutiny his whole career. Have you two talked at all about handling the New York media, and what did he teach you about having a social media presence, particularly taking jabs at opponents?

This is strictly to see if he’ll bite and admit to the post about Madison Beer the day before his first start, classic Lane move. It’s also interesting to know how Lane has been a positive role model for Dart, especially considering his own image rebirth in the last few years at Ole Miss.