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tRY IT NOWCall him Jaxson Start.
Giants coach Brian Daboll opted to give rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart his first preseason start Thursday night, sending him out to face the Patriots at MetLife Stadium.
Daboll, his players and the Giants fans in attendance were not disappointed by what they saw.
Dart immediately showed what the fuss has been about this summer with an electrifying opening salvo.
He lined up with a full assortment of backups, as all the starters on offense were given the night off.
Dart’s first pass, inside the protection of a firm pocket, was a strike on the move as he rolled to his right, hitting Gunner Olszewski in the seam, on the move.
Olszewski did the rest on a catch-and-run that went for 50 yards.
Dart then threw into the end zone but fellow rookie tight end Thomas Fidone on a dive could not make the grab.
Dart’s third throw produced points.
He drilled the ball into tight end Greg Dulcich, who beat cornerback Miles Battle in the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown.
Last week, Dart and Dulcich also hooked up for a scoring connection in a victory against the Jets.
After that, the highlights were in short supply for Dart, although he deserved better.
There was a drop by Beaux Collins and another by Jonathan Ward.
Dart lobbed the ball deep and on target to Jalin Hyatt but the ball hit Hyatt on the shoulder.
On fourth down late in the first quarter, Daboll opted not to punt and Dart took off on a scramble, showing his quick feet and instincts.
He raced 23 yards for the first down but did not see linebacker Jack Gibbens sprinting in from behind.
Gibbens tackled Dart, who hit the turf hard and lost the ball on a fumble.
The Giants kept the ball because of a Patriots penalty but Dart, shaken up, was removed from the game and headed into the medical tent to test for a concussion.
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When he exited the tent and was cleared, he engaged in a prolonged discussion with Daboll, who no doubt reminded the 22-year old to slide rather than take unnecessary risks.
Jameis Winston replaced Dart and on Winston’s first snap the veteran fired a strike to Hyatt for a 27-yard touchdown.
Dart was done for the evening.
He finished 6 of 12 for 81 yards and one touchdown for a passer rating of 99.7.
Dart and outside linebacker Abdul Carter went out for the pregame coin toss as game captains, as Daboll gave his two prize rookies a leadership honor.
Then Dart went to work.
It came as no surprise that Daboll opted to rest Russell Wilson and most or all of the starters on both sides of the ball.
Daboll changed up his approach this summer, giving his starters playing time in the first two preseason games, victories over the Bills and Jets.
After those two games, Daboll opted to go the cautious route with his key players, eyeing the Sept. 7 regular-season opener in Washington.
Dart, 22, injected a large dose of optimism into the fanbase with his performances in the first two preseason games.
He completed 26 of 35 passes for 291 yards.
He tossed two touchdown passes and ran for one touchdown.
His moxie, calmness and ability to rally his teammates were all traits the Giants believed Dart possessed when they decided to trade up to the No. 25 pick in the first round of the NFL Draft to get him.
Seeing him do it in training camp, and then in the preseason, has been encouraging for all involved with his NFL development.
Daboll has maintained that the 36-year old Wilson, entering his 14th NFL season, is the opening day starter.
Dart might have done enough to claim the backup role, as he received second-team reps throughout training camp.
Jameis Winston, 31, worked mostly with the third team in camp.
Wilson started the first two preseason games. He completed 10 of 14 passes for 136 yards.