The New York Giants’ season got off to an awful start, losing their opener 21-6 to the Washington Commanders. However, it wasn’t the loss, alone, that has everyone frustrated. Fans are concerned about how bad the offense looked on Sunday. It was New York’s third straight season opener where it didn’t score a touchdown, and the didn’t do anything well.
Of course, all the discussion centered around veteran quarterback Russell Wilson. With first-round pick Jaxson Dart, and Jameis Winston on the sideline, people have already been calling for a quarterback change. Those flames were fanned when head coach Brian Daboll didn’t commit to a starter immediately after the game. However, he has since announced that Wilson will start in Week 2.
That won’t make everyone happy, but ESPN’s Ben Solak recently argued that it’s the right decision. In a piece looking at several Week 1 quarterback storylines, Solak made the case that New York should start Wilson for as long as it can. The reason being? The Giants offensive line doesn’t look good enough to support a rookie quarterback.
ESPN says Giants should keep Jaxson Dart sidelined while offensive line struggles
While Wilson didn’t play a good game on Sunday, Solak made sure to point out how poorly the offensive line played. New York’s line didn’t do a good job run blocking or pass blocking, and that makes things hard for any quarterback.
"It will hurt Dart's development to put him behind this line. The Giants aren't impactful in the running game, which will stick Dart behind the sticks, and there are no high-level pass blockers available at the moment. Critically, the Giants' offensive line is not going to get better overnight or during the season, either -- these are largely veteran players."Ben Solak (ESPN)
Understanding the current quality of the offensive line, it’d be a mistake to put a rookie quarterback behind the group so early in his career. However, Solak acknowledges that the line drastically improving is unlikely, so some might ask why wait to start Dart if he’ll be playing behind a bad unit either way. To that, Solak pointed to Andrew Thomas’ eventual return.
The analyst believes Thomas can raise the floor of the line, which would benefit Dart. Additionally, waiting a few more weeks will give Dart just a little bit more time to get a hold of things as best as he can from the sideline. That will help him whenever he does make his debut.