The New York Giants took your “meaningless” Week 18 game and turned it into a 34-17 blowout of the Dallas Cowboys. Any chance at getting the No. 1 overall pick went up in smoke along with the win, which isn’t exactly ideal for a 4-13 team that needs all the help it can get.
Still, the win must feel nice. It officially ends Dak Prescott and the Cowboys’ reign of terror over Big Blue -- nine wins in a row, 14 wins in a row with Prescott under center.
Related: Giants wrecked their draft position by beating Cowboys at the worst possible time
Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart played a big role in the win, throwing for 231 yards and two touchdowns, adding 32 yards on the ground. The 22-year-old will end his 2025 season on a high note, winning his last two games. If his final game showed fans what’s to come, the future is bright in East Rutherford. Here are three observations from Dart’s electric rookie season in New York.
3 final takeaways from Jaxson Dart’s first year as Giants’ starting QB
Dual-threat ability is a real weapon
Coming out of Ole Miss, Dart was viewed as a prospect who had good mobility and could use his legs. Not many scouts could have predicted just how often the G-Men would rely on his ground game to their advantage.
The 2025 25th pick ended his first campaign with 487 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns. He wasn’t just using his legs; he was annihilating defenses with them. Of course, the more he runs, the higher the chances are of taking unnecessary hits and potentially getting hurt. Those fears became reality after a Week 10 concussion knocked him out for two games.
Still, learning when to risk it for the biscuit and when to be more reserved is something he’ll learn. In fact, it already looks like he’s been making those adjustments.
Early-season Dart looked nothing like late-season Dart
Speaking of trying to do too much and taking needless hits, that seems to be a thing of the past. If Week 18’s efforts showed the fans anything, it’s that he’s been listening to the feedback on not going out of bounds or not sliding. On multiple occasions, he opted to avoid contact for the sake of fighting for an extra yard or two.
Those aren’t the only mistakes he’s been working through. Earlier in the year, he was struggling with forcing throws into coverage and had difficulty picking up blitzes and defensive coverages. Now, he didn’t become flawless at either, but you can see a much calmer and more poised QB in the pocket now -- one who’s okay with the checkdown and moves protections.
The Giants have their next franchise QB
A lot of talk this season has been about how Dart is not the guy -- about how they should draft another QB this year because the Giants can’t win with No. 6 under center. Well, he went 4-8 as the starter in his first season after being thrown into the role in Week 4.
He lost both Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo to season-ending injuries, leaving him with a bare-bones group of playmakers headlined by Wan’Dale Robinson, Tyrone Tracy Jr., and Darius Slayton. But that didn’t stop him from throwing for 2,273 yards and 15 touchdowns to only five interceptions, in a season few thought he’d even be semi-ready for.
Let’s not forget the coaching turmoil that plagued this team for the 10th year in a row, either.
So was he perfect? No. But did he show enough to be the undisputed starter heading into next season? Yes. Get this guy the right head coach and some playmakers, and then let’s decide whether he has the chops for the big leagues or not. I’m willing to bet he does.