The New York Giants were on the verge of picking up their most dominant win of the season against a contending team in the Denver Broncos. Then, heartache kicked in. The Giants watched a 26-8 deficit disappear, and even managed to pull ahead 32-30. But then, the Broncos marched downfield and handed the Giants a 33-32 loss.
One of the main catalysts for the Giants' collapse was a brutal interception thrown by rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. Deep in the Giant's own territory, he aimed for tight end Daniel Bellinger downfield, but he couldn't plant his foot as he was tangled up with a Broncos defender. The throw had no velocity on it, and it landed right in the hands of linebacker Dustin Strnad. That set up the Broncos to cut their deficit to 26-23.
After the game, Dart took responsibility for making that throw, calling it "unacceptable."
"Yeah absolutely. I can't do that. We were in full control of the game. In that situation, you can't do that. That was an unacceptable mistake by me," said Dart, h/t SNY.
Jaxson Dart takes the blame for late interception that helped create Broncos comeback
Dart was emotional when speaking with reporters, as were a variety of other players on the team. How could you not be after having a surefire win turn into a heartbreaker. But for Dart, that interception is going to stick with him.
Dart did have a chance at redemption late in the game while trailing 30-26. In the final drive, Dart managed to get the team downfield, even though they were gifted on defensive pass interference and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties by the Broncos. Dart managed to dive and break the plane on a diving two-yard touchdown.
The problem was the Giants' kicking woes emerged yet again, as Jude McAtamney missed an extra point. The Broncos just needed a field goal to win, and predictably, they did just that to win 33-32.
Dart showed promise during this game, throwing for 283 yards and three touchdowns while completing 15-of-33 pass attempts, while also picking up 11 yards and a touchdown on five carries.
The rookie showed promise as the franchise's answer at quarterback for the foreseeable future. This year is a learning experience for Dart. There will be mistakes that Dart makes, and they may very well be gut-wrenching. Dart made one brutal mistake, and it proved to be costly.