Giants fans are flying high after watching their favorite team knock off the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night Football. Head coach Brian Daboll and his staff need to start protecting quarterback Jaxson Dart if they want the good times to keep rolling in the Big Apple.
Running back Cam Skattebo was the Giants' big star against their division rivals, but Dart deserves credit for efficiently executing his team's offensive game plan. He completed 17 of 25 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown against the Eagles' defense. Most importantly, he also avoided any costly turnover that might have allowed Philadelphia back into the contest.
Daboll and his offensive staff also leveraged their rookie signal-caller's running ability to keep the Eagles off balance. Dart carried the ball 13 times for 58 yards and one touchdown. That helped New York win the game but also exposed Dart to a high degree of physical pounding.
Brian Daboll saw 2 plays of Russell Wilson and is yelling at the team doctor to get an update on Jaxson Dart pic.twitter.com/8wM6aI6j6K
— 𝙆am Brice (@kambrice1tv) October 10, 2025
The Giants need to protect Jaxson Dart at all costs
Dart was forced to leave the game to be checked for a concussion but did return to action to seal the win. Daboll's reaction to Russell Wilson's brief cameo made it clear just how much he's already relying on his rookie quarterback to win games. If the Giants want to employ that strategy for the rest of the year they will need to take action to keep Dart healthy.
The first thing the Giants can do is to teach their young quarterback to avoid taking big hits. Going out of bounds or sliding to avoid contact isn't the stuff that legends are made of, but they are two skills that keep NFL quarterbacks healthy. Dart does not have the size required to take too many hits over the course of a 17-game regular season.
New York also needs to exercise a great deal of caution when it comes to calling designed runs for their quarterback. Dart needs to retain the ability to improvise and take off when pressure comes, but handing him more than a couple designed runs in any game would represent a risky strategy for the Giants' offense.
Dart's solid performance against the Eagles is a solid building block for future success. It's imperative for the Giants to help him learn how to survive in the NFL if they want to capitalize on his talents. Protecting Dart from his own instincts might be the difference between Daboll earning another year with the franchise and looking for a new team at the conclusion of the 2025 season.