New York Giants Will Start a New Era Against the Los Angeles Chargers
The New York Giants will begin a new era in franchise against the Los Angeles Chargers, starting rookie QB Jaxson Dart. Getting off to a 0-3 start, Head Coach Brian Daboll decided it’s time for a change at quarterback. Russell Wilson’s struggles continued against the Kansas City Chiefs, and the New York crowd was growing restless, chanting “We Want Dart.” On Monday, Daboll wouldn’t commit to Wilson as the starter moving forward, and later confirmed Dart would start for the rest of the season.
Giants Offense Is a Disaster
New York’s offense has been a hot mess, and even worse in the red zone. The play calling has been atrocious, and the simple mistakes have killed them through the first three weeks. In Week 1, their offense was lifeless, as they couldn’t capitalize on eight plays in the red zone. Wilson couldn’t get anything going all game. Week 2 was a shootout with the Dallas Cowboys, but early penalties from James Hudson and a late mistake from Wilson cost the Giants the game.
Heading into Week 3, Giants fans had hope after the offense’s performance in Dallas, but their success was short-lived. Wilson had his worst game of the three, throwing 2 interceptions, and had one of the worst possessions you will ever see in the red zone. A penalty set them back 10 yards, leading to a goal-to-go situation at the Chiefs’ 14-yard line. Wilson scrambled up the middle for four yards, but on the next two plays, he just heaved the ball into the crowd.
With Daboll’s job on the line, he decided to give Giants fans what they’ve been asking for. The Giants traded up for Dart in the First Round of the NFL Draft, and he’ll lead the Giants for the rest of the season. Dart has been put on the field, taking snaps on run plays, as the Giants wanted to get him some action behind Wilson.
Chargers Are Cruising
Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers have gotten off to a blazing hot start this season, and currently sit atop the AFC West. They will look to stay undefeated and improve to 4-0 after beating the Denver Broncos in a close matchup last week. This will be the Chargers’ first game against an NFC opponent, as they’ve played three divisional games to start their season.
Herbert has played at an elite level through three weeks. Herbert currently has 860 passing yards and 6 passing touchdowns. The Chargers’ offense has been one of the best in the NFL, and the running game hasn’t even developed yet. All eyes are now on rookie Running Back Omarion Hampton, with Najee Harris suffering a torn Achilles tendon last week.
The Chargers’ defense has also been elite, allowing just 16.7 points per game to their opponents. With how good Herbert’s been playing, the Chargers’ defense isn’t being talked about enough. Even with the loss of Khalil Mack, the Chargers are still forcing pressure. They’ve played very well on both sides of the ball, and this could be the year that Justin Herbert finally takes the next step.
Can Dart Pull Off the Upset?
If the Giants want to have a chance tomorrow, they need to establish the running game early to help Dart out. With Tyrone Tracy set to miss multiple weeks, Cam Skattebo will be one of the focal points on offense tomorrow. The offensive line must step up and protect Dart, allowing him time to find his playmakers. The good news is that Andrew Thomas will have a bigger workload, so the Giants will get their best lineman back for Dart’s debut.
One of the biggest storylines heading into this game will be the usage of Malik Nabers. He was great in Week 2, but has been quiet in the other two weeks of the season. With Dart starting on Sunday, he’ll be the sixth quarterback who’s thrown to Nabers since the Giants drafted the wideout in last year’s draft.
When asked about getting acclimated with Nabers, Dart praised him in every way possible: “I’ve also seen him play a ton, then saw him cook my team in college, so I just know his ability and I know that there’s 50-50 balls or him one-on-one or different situations have all confidence in the world to get him the ball.” It will be exciting to watch the connection between Dart and Nabers tomorrow. Tomorrow’s game could be a preview of the new Franchise QB/WR duo in New York.
Key Matchups
Matchup #1: Chargers O-Line vs Giants D-Line. It’ll be interesting to see if the Giants can put pressure on Justin Herbert, making the secondary’s job easier. Brian Burns has had a fantastic season and has been one of the best edge rushers in all of football. He’ll go up against Joe Alt, so that matchup is going to be fun to watch. Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux need to get involved and put pressure on the other side of the defensive line.
Matchup #2: Donte Jackson vs. Malik Nabers. We all know how good Nabers is, but Donte Jackson has been a great surprise for the Chargers’ defense. Nabers will be Jackson’s biggest test so far, and he’ll need to be sharp. If Jackson can hold things down on his end, Dart will have to pivot to Wan’Dale Robinson and Theo Johnson.
Matchup #3: Jaxson Dart vs. Chargers Secondary. Every Giants fan will be paying attention to Dart’s performance tomorrow, and he’s being presented with a daunting task. Brian Dabooll needs to be creative in calling plays and put Dart in a position to succeed. Try to use short passes to their advantage, and pound the ball with Skattebo.
