Maybe you didn’t catch that less-than-thrilling Broncos-Jets game Sunday morning from London.
But as the Broncos improved to 4-2 with a 13-11 win — heading into this week’s home game against the suddenly alive 2-4 Giants — they did something that surely will make Brian Daboll take notice.
They shut down a scrambling quarterback.
Jaxson Dart — the Giants’ rookie sensation — is now 2-1 as their starter because of more than just his fleet feet, of course. But running is a big part of his game — and a major piece of what Daboll asks him to do.
So yes, it matters that the Broncos on Sunday held Justin Fields — who runs well but typically struggles otherwise — to 31 yards on seven carries. His longest run went for 8 yards.
Through Dart’s three starts, he has run 10, seven and 13 times, for 54, 55 and 58 yards — with those highest-end numbers coming in Thursday night’s shocking home win over the Eagles.
(Dart actually ran 10 times for 60 yards against the Eagles, because he had three kneel-down plays at the end.)
The timing of that game means the Giants have extra rest before their Denver trip, while the Broncos must trek all the way back from a Sunday game in London. So that should help the Giants.
Still, Dart — who has two rushing touchdowns through three starts — will need to contend with coordinator Vance Joseph’s Denver defense, which just smothered Fields’ running presence.
In Dart’s first start, an upset of the Chargers, his longest run went for 15 yards. The next two weeks, against the Saints and Eagles, he peaked with a 20-yard run in both games.
While Dart in New Orleans threw 40 times compared to those seven runs — as the Giants suffered a brutal loss — it’s clear Daboll would prefer a run/pass ratio for his quarterback like he got in the Chargers and Eagles games (10-to-20 and then 10-to-25).
“In the NFL, it starts with the quarterback — and he’s shown what he can do," Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt said of Dart.
He sure has — and not just with his legs.
Through three starts, Dart has four touchdown passes and six total scores (plus those two interceptions and that awful fumble in New Orleans). He posted quarterback ratings of 96.0 and 104.6 in his wins. He is plenty capable as a passer. That much is clear.
He also is a fearless runner with plenty of mobility to go with all that swagger. But now, defensive coordinators like Joseph — who just stopped a running quarterback, in Fields — will scheme to shut down that mobility.
How will Dart (and Daboll) respond, as the Giants try to upend a very good team on the road and secure their first winning streak since late in 2023?
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