The Giants’ offense will be led by quarterback Russell Wilson when the team faces the Washington Commanders in their season opener. However, one NFL analyst believes the offensive philosophy on display in Week 1 could be much different when rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart finally takes the field.
On Monday’s episode of “Good Morning Football,” former NFL linebacker Manti Te’o broke down Dart’s preseason debut in the Giants’ 35-24 win over the Buffalo Bills on Saturday. Dart, who played 30 snaps in the game, completed 12 of his 19 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 24 yards. Te’o said he noticed something different about head coach Brian Daboll’s game plan.
“Brian Daboll runs a totally different offense with him as quarterback than Russell Wilson,” Te’o said. “If you watch that game, Russell Wilson runs a traditional hand the ball off, play-action, let’s get the ball downfield. When Jaxson Dart comes in the game, it’s more like college and there are more RPOs (run-pass options).”
Te’o also noticed the designed runs called for Dart and complimented his “makeup,” showing the ability to bounce back from nearly throwing an interception on a drive early in the second quarter and throwing an accurate ball to wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey for a 28-yard touchdown.
Wilson, who is entering his 14th season in the league, signed a one-year deal with the Giants this offseason, acting as the bridge to Dart. Wilson is still mobile enough to buy time for receivers, but he has taken a lot of shots down the field with his “moon balls,” the high-arcing throws that he has shown off at times during training camp. The current approach with Dart allows him to get the ball out quickly and limit the potential mistakes of him holding onto the ball too long while trying to read the defense.
The two contrasting styles have Te’o wondering how much of what was shown Saturday will be implemented, if any, when Wilson is playing.
“It’s going to be interesting for me to see Brian Daboll and how he kind of plays this because obviously he has a certain flavor that he likes to run with Russell compared to Jaxson Dart,” Te’o said. “For me, it’s a matter of when do you start to implement those things because there are definitely two different approaches.”
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Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com.
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