ALLEN PARK — The New York Giants are reportedly asking their rookie quarterback, Jaxson Dart, to take more care when he’s running with the football.
The dual-threat signal caller out of Ole Miss has been one of the few bright spots for the Giants in a season where they sit 2-9 and have already fired their head coach.
But his aggressive running style has also put him in dangerous situations, including taking a hit in Week 10 that caused him to miss last week’s game while still in the NFL’s concussion protocol.
He’s back to practicing in a limited fashion this week and is expected to suit up against the Lions with some hopes he will keep himself out of trouble spots.
Even so, Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard isn’t expecting Dart to alter much of what’s made him a Rookie of the Year contender.
“You could tell a player like that to run less, but within his competitive nature, if he’s out there, he’s going to run the football,” Sheppard said Thursday. “We’re preparing for a healthy Jackson Dart, if he’s the guy.”
Dart has thrown for 1,417 yards and 10 touchdowns through his first seven starts. He’s also leading the team with seven rushing touchdowns and has 317 rushing yards, which is fourth among NFL QBs this season.
Sheppard says he’s been watching Dart since his college days just as a football fan. The former LSU linebacker likely would’ve seen Dart face his Tigers over his three seasons at Ole Miss.
Dart’s always shown a knack for escaping the pocket and making plays with his legs downfield. It’s translated to some success early in his NFL career, but the first-round pick will want to avoid missing any more time due to taking an excessive amount of tackles.
All their designed runs and the Giants’ O-line being among the lesser in the league have led to Dart being hit 84 combined times since making his first start in Week 4 — the second-highest total in the NFL during that stretch.
If Dart isn’t ready to go, the Giants will likely turn to veteran Jameis Winston — who started last week — or could return to Russell Wilson. The former Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos QB began the season as New York’s starter.
Regardless of who is leading the offense, the Lions don’t intend to alter much of their own plan, but know they will have to be aware of the threat Dart poses on the ground if he plays.
“They have a lot of depth in that quarterback room where they can go down to their third guy and it’s a Super Bowl champion,” Sheppard said. “There’s not like anything is going to change as far as playing. Obviously, the QB run game stuff you have to be more prepared for because we do believe it’ll uptick in the illusion of the QB run, so to say, if Jaxson plays. But we’ll be ready for any guy that they put out there Sunday.”
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