Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, the football gods deliver the knockout punch that might leave the New York Giants on the ground permanently.
They tested fans with the 33-point fourth-quarter collapse in Denver. They followed that up with an all-around meltdown against the Philadelphia Eagles, taking rookie running back Cam Skattebo out in the process. And finally, making San Francisco backup quarterback Mac Jones look like Tom Brady in Week 9 felt like rock bottom. Psych! Joke’s on us.
As if all of that wasn’t bad enough, the G-Men blew another double-digit fourth-quarter lead, losing the game 24-20. Oh, and rookie quarterback sensation Jaxson Dart was knocked out with a concussion early in the final period after going 19-of-29 for 242 yards, while adding 66 yards and two touchdowns on six carries.
It's another complete bummer all around — and it’s officially on to 2026.
3 takeaways from Jaxson Dart’s concussion-shortened fight vs. Bears
His development is beyond ahead of schedule
You can see it on some of his throws — he has it. His ability to process in real time is far ahead of what scouts and analysts believed when they labeled him as more project than finished product. It was supposed to take him at least a season to learn the ropes. Thankfully, that was wrong.
Just look at this strike to his tight end, Theo Johnson, and tell me he isn't lightyears ahead of where he should be. It's crazy stuff being wasted on a 2-8 team that refuses to do anything about it.
Not getting him help at the deadline was a mistake
Listen, being a buyer at 2-7 isn’t exactly normal. But circumstances in East Rutherford are anything but. Without Nabers and Skattebo, there just isn’t much else on offense that’s going to scare anyone. They lack top-end depth at every position — maybe outside of running back — and that’s already caught up to them.
While it didn’t necessarily crush them on Sunday, Darius Slayton left the game with a hamstring injury late in the first half. That pushed return man Gunner Olszewski into a prominent offensive role that actually saw him targeted twice in the end zone. Gunner Olszewski was the team’s WR2 for a portion of the game. If that doesn’t scream they need help, I don’t know what does.
Playing Superman isn't sustainable
The 22-year-old is special. He does a lot of things well. But too often he’s left to his own devices, forced to play Superman to save the offense from its own ineptitude. It’s not sustainable. Look no further than the concussion he suffered. The team couldn’t get the ground game going, so it relied on Dart’s legs to move the ball.
It ended with him fumbling the football on a hard hit, ultimately taking him out of the game with a concussion. This team is just going to need more from everyone. Or it’s going to break the one guy who can turn it around.