Cam Skattebo isn’t normal.

He runs into telephone poles.

He runs into brick walls.

He screams randomly at socially inappropriate times.

He tears his shirt off on live television.

And last Thursday night, he scored a hat trick of rushing touchdowns against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The rookies changed Big Blue’s narrative last Thursday night. Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo are the future Giants fans have been dreaming of for years. There is something special about this duo, and their exceptional performances helped the Giants win a meaningful game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

It didn’t feel like it was the Giants playing on Thursday. That’s how well they performed. Powered by Skattebo’s trio of touchdowns, Dart’s pair, and some sensational defense, the Giants squashed Philadelphia 34-17. They held Saquon Barkley to 58 yards and held the Eagles scoreless in the entire second half.

“It was Eagles vs. Giants tonight,” Skattebo proclaimed. “It wasn’t Skatt vs. Saquon.”

In seven of their last eight meetings against the defending Super Bowl champions, the Giants lost to Philadelphia. In 16 of their previous 20 matchups, the Giants lost to Philadelphia. The years and years and years of dominance finally – finally – ended on Thursday. Yes, it’s just one game, but it’s much more than that.

It’s the signs of the future. The peak of light at the end of the tunnel. The end of embarrassment. The excitement to watch the Giants play. The ability to able to smile when talking about Big Blue. This game was just one of 17, but for the Giants and their fans, it meant everything.

When Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll came to New York in 2022, they had instant success, reaching the playoffs for the first time in six years. Then, things got dark, and stayed that way for three years until Thursday, October 9, 2025. The hardest thing for an NFL general manager and head coach to do is draft the right quarterback at the right time and position him for a successful debut. But Schoen built the rest of the team before drafting Dart so that he could debut with a complete team around him.

On Thursday, everything clicked on the field for the Giants. The offensive line played well. The pass rushing was excellent. The secondary looked great. And without Malik Nabers, their best wide receiver, the Giants scored in a plethora of ways. They went 11-for-16 on third down and 3-for-3 in the red zone without turning the ball over.

Suddenly, a young quarterback has captivated his teammates and his city, and the attitude in and around the Giants is finally positive.

“I understand that the most important thing for everybody is winning,” Dart said. “As competitors, that’s how we feel too. I feel like this city is starving for that.”

The Giants kicked things off with a busy 13-point first quarter. Five minutes into the ballgame, Dart ran 20 yards up the middle for a touchdown. On the Giants’ next possession, Wan’Dale Robinson caught a pass from Dart and dodged a tackle before running 35 yards into the end zone. It was the first time in 81 games that the Giants posted more than seven points in an opening quarter.

“There’s just situations where, if it’s third down, I’m gonna get the first down,” Dart said, brimming with confidence. “That’s important to me. That’s important to this team. In my mind, when I’m running the ball, I’m trying to get the yard.”

After Robinson’s six points, Philadelphia struck back with a touchdown of their own, and they took a 17-13 lead in the second quarter. But Cam Skattebo refused to enter halftime with his team trailing, and he ran through Reed Blankenship to score his first touchdown of the night. On that drive, the Giants converted out of third down three separate times, and they needed 20 plays to reach the end zone.

Seven minutes into the third quarter, the Giants scored again as Skattebo capped an 11-play drive with another rushing touchdown. The Giants got some help from a face mask penalty against Byron Young and a holding penalty against Kelee Ringo. After running 12 yards to put the Giants at the 1-yard line, Skattebo ruptured through the line of scrimmage, but he couldn’t make it all the way through. As the official raised his hand to signal the ball short of the goal line, Dart reached up and gave him a high-five.

Amazing!

Then, with a little help from replay assist, Skattebo’s run was ruled a touchdown.

Even better!

“I knew I was in,” Skattebo said. “I knew the first time I reached it, I was in. I kind of fought extra just in case they did call me short.”

On the Giants’ final possession of the third quarter, Dart got sacked and had to go to the medical tent for concussion protocol. After being tackled, while lying down on the field, Dart wiggled his knee to try to hide the potential head injury, but he got up and jogged to the tent.

Suddenly, as Dart was being examined, screams emerged from the tent. With Russell Wilson filling in for Dart as the Giants continued their offensive drive, Dart was yelling words of encouragement from the medical tent. For whatever reason, Skattebo and head coach Brian Daboll both opened the flaps of the tent to check on Dart, and they were quickly sent away. How remarkable it is that the chemistry these players feel motivates them so much, especially when a teammate gets hurt.

It’s the Jaxson Dart effect on full display.

Daboll was then spotted on the sidelines yelling at the doctor because the Giants were leading by 10 points, and he needed to know when Dart would return so he could determine which play to call. While the NFL investigated the Giants for Daboll’s behavior, it’s always encouraging when he’s fired up on the field.

The Giants continued to pressure Philadelphia in the fourth quarter, and their defense ensured there would be no chants of “Fly, Eagles, Fly” in the Meadowlands. Brian Burns recorded two sacks, which led to a combined loss of 18 yards for Philadelphia. His best sack came in the third quarter.

As Jalen Hurts tried to squeeze out of a crowded pocket, Burns chased him, grabbed his shirt, and yanked him down for a loss of 10 yards. When the Giants acquired Burns in free agency last offseason, they knew he was talented, but nobody knew he’d be this good, ranking third in the NFL with seven sacks. The Giants’ pass-rushing unit, led by Burns, Dexter Lawrence, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and rookie Abdul Carter, has been nothing short of elite this season.

“We kind of just got to the point where this is going to be whichever defense bows up first, and we made sure it was us by knocking out the run,” Burns said. “Then, when it was our chance to get after Hurts, we did that.”

With 11:36 remaining in regulation, down 10 points on second-and-10 at the Giants’ 15-yard line, Hurts launched the ball toward Jahan Dotson, but he got picked off for the first time this season. Cor’Dale Flott intercepted the pass and ran it 68 yards to Philadelphia’s 23-yard line, setting the Giants up to score again.

“I came through when the team needed it most,” Flott said. “It was the opportunity I was waiting for. I just snatched [the ball] out of the air.”

The Giants were able to capitalize on Flott’s interception, and due to a 20-yard pass interference penalty against Kelee Ringo, the Giants had first-and-goal at the one-yard line. So, guess who got the football? Cam Skattebo, of course. He ran it up the middle for his third touchdown of the game, giving the Giants a 34-17 lead.

With a 36-yard pass on their next possession, it looked like Philadelphia might start a comeback, but the Giants quickly quelled those thoughts as Dane Belton forced the rock out of AJ Dillon’s hands, and Dru Phillips recovered it for Big Blue.

“Winning feels good,” Brian Daboll said. “There were a lot of coaches sleeping in their offices this week, and I appreciate that about those guys. They put a lot into it, like they do every week. The players put a lot into it. I’m just happy for those guys that put so much into it to try to get the outcome we all desire.”

Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo have infused life into a franchise that has been lifeless for so many years. The future is now, and this is only the beginning.

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