For any New York Giants fan searching for a silver lining in Sunday’s 34-24 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, it’s this: rookie sensation Jaxson Dart looks like the next franchise quarterback. However, the shine fades fast when the rest of the team keeps making life harder for him.
The G-Men were outclassed, again. It wasn’t just the defense giving up 30-plus for the third straight week — it was the total nightmarish performance they put together for 60 minutes. The offense lacked juice, and the defense couldn't stop a nosebleed. At this point, it’s not even surprising. It’s just what they do.
And now, even Dart is starting to finally see it — this is a team that folds the second things get tough. When speaking to the media after the game, Dart exposed the lack of mental maturity in the locker room:
"The biggest thing is, I just think that we've got to be able to not just let things collapse, a little bit. Good plays are going to happen for the other team, that's just the league that we play in. We can't let one lead to another. I think that's just something we need to get better at."Jaxson Dart
Jaxson Dart’s honest postgame quote sums up what’s wrong with the Giants
If the 22-year-old's comments are true — and we have every reason to believe they are, because seeing is believing — the lack of maturity and mental fortitude on this team is sad. These are adults playing a game professionally and making millions of dollars doing so. If they're out there with their heads down because the other team makes a big play, we have a problem.
And it is a problem. Every week, this team lets big plays get to them, which snowballs into effort concerns, poor decision-making, frustrating penalties, you name it. And if it takes the youngest starting quarterback in the league to acknowledge it, what in the world is the coaching staff doing?
If a rookie who's started six games can see it, how is this not being addressed by coaches who have been around football longer than Dart's been alive? It's insane.
Dart finished the game with a respectable, albeit vanilla, 24-of-33 for 191 yards and two passing touchdowns. He also added 56 yards and a score on the ground. The final stats — and score — were inflated via garbage time, but they still count.
Related: 4 takeaways from Jaxson Dart’s bland performance in Giants’ Week 9 mess
If Sunday showed fans anything, it’s that No. 6 needs help. And lots of it. Without star receiver Malik Nabers and rookie running back Cam Skattebo, the offense is dink-and-dunk and a whole lotta junk. They can’t stretch the field, and relying on players who can’t make a play — they know who they are — to make a play clearly isn’t working.
What is working is this accountability from Jaxson Dart, who deserves more from his teammates than hung heads. If they mentally collapse every time their opponent makes a good play, the Giants are screwed. It's time to drop this woe-is-me, loser mentality and start acting like a professional.