The New York Giants are 2-0 in the preseason following a 31–12 win over the New York Jets on Saturday.
Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart was the star of the show, turning in a strong performance to power the Giants to a lopsided victory.
Jaxson Dart has been spectacular through two preseason games
Dart finished the game 14-of-16 passing for 137 yards and one touchdown with zero interceptions. He also added five yards and one touchdown rushing.
Jaxson Dart, NFL: New York Jets at New York Giants
Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Through two preseason games, Dart has now thrown for 291 yards, going 26-for-35 (74% completion rate) with two passing touchdowns, zero interceptions, and one rushing touchdown.
Dart looks like the real deal in the preseason. However, head coach Brian Daboll is still insisting that Russell Wilson is the team’s starter and will remain the starting quarterback going into the regular season.
Russell Wilson instills confidence, Beaux Collins keeps his roster dream alive
Wilson hit a deep shot downfield to Beaux Collins on the Giants’ first offensive drive of the game. It was a beautiful moon ball from Wilson that traveled 62 air yards and hit Collins in stride. Collins made the grab and took the ball down to the one-yard line for a gain of 80 yards on the play.
This was a big moment for the first-team offense with Wilson showing off his elite deep-passing accuracy. Meanwhile, Collins is continuing to make a strong case for the final 53-man roster. The undrafted rookie out of Notre Dame has been a standout all summer.
NFL: New York Jets at New York Giants, russell wilson
Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Welcome to the NFL, Abdul Carter
The Giants’ prized No. 3 overall pick, Abdul Carter, was unblockable in his first preseason game, generating three pressures on three pass-rushing snaps.
He didn’t find the same success in his second exhibition outing, and had his “welcome to the NFL” moment when being pancaked twice on the same play in the first quarter.
Carter did have a nice run stop in the game, though, finishing the day with one tackle.
Promising rookie on the offensive line
Fifth-round rookie Marcus Mbow continued to impress. Building off a strong preseason debut, the Purdue product turned in another stellar outing, playing both left tackle and right tackle.
Across 64 snaps this preseason, Mbow has surrendered just one pressure, zero hurries, and zero sacks. He has logged 48 snaps at right tackle and 43 at left tackle.
The defense has an area to improve
One of the Giants’ weaknesses last season was their run defense. One of the Jets’ strengths entering this season is their rushing attack. Both truths were on display on Saturday.
NFL: New York Jets at New York Giants
Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The Giants’ defense surrendered 141 yards on the ground. The Jets averaged 4.3 yards per attempt on 33 carries.
Improving the run defense will be a point of emphasis for Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen as he prepares for the regular season.