Big Blue Review: Week 2 at Rams; L; NYG: 6, LAR: 28
It was fun for one week. At least there was that brief glimpse of optimism and hope for the future. Unfortunately, it all disappeared in Week 2, and it will not come back anytime soon.
Jaxson Dart’s season is over. On Monday night, a 28-6 loss was significantly worsened by a knee injury that knocked the 23-year-old quarterback out of the game. Then, during halftime, general manager Joe Schoen told ESPN reporters that Dart would be okay. A camera also caught a Giants staff member telling John Harbaugh something about “four-to-six weeks,” but Dart tried to reenter the game by the third quarter.
If only Dart were, in fact, set to miss four to six weeks. If only he were actually “going to be okay.” But on Tuesday, further testing revealed his knee injury was worse than initially feared, and yesterday, the Giants decided he would need season-ending surgery.
Thus, the arduous, depressing 18-week journey of New York Giants football resumes.
It was always meant to be this way. Reality just existed under the pseudonym of every exciting thing that happened in Week 1 against Dallas.
Goodbye, hope.
Goodbye, joy.
Throughout his young career, Dart has been criticized for running into traffic and putting himself in harm’s way. It’s a small sample size, but it looked like he had cleaned that up this season. Under offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, his designed runs were more carefully crafted, and his play action more intentional.
But in football, not every play gets executed as planned. Sometimes receivers don’t get open downfield. Sometimes a play takes longer than expected, and Theo Johnson is the only open man. Sometimes, the other team’s interior defense has more time to crash the pocket, which, in this case, caused a season-ending hit on Dart.
Dart likely suffered a torn meniscus. He was initially feared to have suffered a sprained MCL, so at least his ACL is intact. While his season is over, Harbaugh emphasized that it’s just his “regular season.” If the Giants somehow make the postseason, Dart could return.
Dart wasn’t the only Giant who got hurt on Monday night. Malik Nabers, in his second game since tearing his ACL, dislocated his shoulder in the first quarter and had to pop it back in. That sounds ugly, but Nabers forced himself back into the game.
“We were without Jaxson, and I didn’t want to give the team another loss,” Nabers said. “So I went back in.”
Makes sense.
Brian Burns, meanwhile, didn’t fare as well. On a night when the Giants were without top cornerbacks Deonte Banks and Paulson Adebo, the defensive line felt extra pressure, especially Burns, who recorded 16.5 sacks last season. The Rams didn’t have Puka Nacua, but Davante Adams tallied two touchdowns and 195 yards.
Because of that lack of defensive depth, Burns had to stay in during garbage time, which was when he rolled his left ankle. He was diagnosed with a low ankle sprain, and he will miss at least one game. This is atypical of Burns, who has missed just three games in his eight NFL seasons.
However, this creates an opportunity for Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter. Thibodeaux has only played 59 of 120 defensive snaps. Perhaps he will make an impact this Sunday.
Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor were the offensive linemen who simultaneously fell behind their defenders before Dart got hit. Thomas also suffered an injury, but to his groin. The left tackle has battled many lower body injuries throughout his six-year career, mainly to his feet. Fortunately, Thomas’s injury is not serious, and he is expected to play this weekend.
As soon as Dart left Monday’s game, everything changed for Big Blue. Jameis Winston, who is expected to be the Giants’ starting quarterback for the foreseeable future, nailed just 11 of his 27 pass attempts for 111 yards, including one interception.
It wasn’t pretty.
Winston, a former first-overall draft pick, has left a lot to be desired throughout his NFL career. His off-field antics are entertaining, but on Monday night, he simply was not prepared to play football. After his interception, the Giants tried to run the ball, but it became so predictable that they couldn’t reach the end zone on a second-quarter drive that started at the Rams’ 11-yard line.
Jevón Holland has been the Giants’ brightest defensive spot. The safety defended a pass, recorded an interception, and forced two fumbles on Monday night, bringing his season totals to 10 tackles, two forced fumbles, two passes defended, and two picks.
“If you don’t got faith, leave the room,” Holland said after Dart’s dire injury news was announced. “I know how bad [Dart] wants to win and how bad he wants to be able to play. Him being injured, that hurts my heart.
“But then I go to sleep, and I wake up, and I realize that we have Jameis at the helm, and we have other individuals that are stepping up to take advantage of the opportunity that they have.”
Enthusiasm… what fun! But that alone does not win football games, and last time I checked, Winston was not “stepping up” or “taking advantage” of his opportunity. For the rest of the team to succeed, Winston must play better. He needs to get the ball down the field, think quickly, and make intelligent football decisions.
“I am very confident in my ability to execute with precision and lead the New York Football Giants to victories,” Winston proclaimed in practice yesterday. “It’s truly a privilege. I had this privilege for two games last year, and it truly was an honor. For this game alone, my focus is on being my very best, having elite fundamentals and precise execution.”
Also, even though there is a change under center, the offensive line and running backs core has stayed the same. Yet, the Giants totaled just 52 rushing yards on Monday. Cam Skattebo, who was a bit banged up at times during the game, was often replaced by Devin Singletary and Najee Harris, who combined for 15 yards on seven carries.
For some reason, Patrick Ricard, an effective piece of the Giants’ run game against Dallas in Week 1, was not used as often in Los Angeles. In Week 1, following Ricard across the line of scrimmage was a highly effective strategy for the Giants’ run game. Yet, Nagy didn’t use it as much in Los Angeles.
The Giants are expected to shop for a new quarterback to back up Winston. A few reports suggest there is mutual interest with Jimmy Garappolo, who served as Matthew Stafford’s backup in Los Angeles last season, but hasn’t thrown in an NFL game since 2024.
The Giants could also explore trading for Gardner Minshew, who has connections with Nagy, and they will check in on Mac Jones, Brock Purdy’s backup in San Francisco.
For now, though, it’s all up to Winston as the Giants prepare to host the Tennessee Titans at home in Week 3.
The 1-1 Giants’ next game will be on Sunday at 1 PM (12 PM CDT) at home against the 0-2 Titans (CBS, FOX One).
Cover Image Courtesy: New York Giants
