The New York Giants followed up a disastrous collapse against the Denver Broncos with a miserable loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Two weeks after pulling off an upset against the Eagles, Philadelphia got its revenge, defeating the Giants 38-20. There was the controversial call by officials to wipe out a forced fumble by Kayvon Thibodeaux and rookie Cam Skattebo suffering a dislocated ankle.
Despite all of this, Dart still showed promise as the Giants' quarterback of the future. He showed his ability to extend plays enough for a wide receiver to get open downfield, and the ability to rush for first downs. Yet, it wasn't enough for the Giants to overcome the officiating and injuries.
Dart does have one believer in Giants right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor. After the game, Eluemunor was asked his thoughts on seeing Dart taking big hits from the Eagles' defense and getting back up on his feet to continue playing. The veteran said that he enjoys playing for a quarterback like Dart because of his toughness and desire to win:
"Dart is, we've known he's been the entire season, really relentless, tough, no fear, he just wants to win," said Eluemunor. "You see it in his eyes. He really wants to win the game. He's going to give you everything he has and he's going to make sure when he runs on full there's nothing left in the tank. He's a hell of a quarterback, and I love playing with a guy like that."
Jermaine Eluemunor praise's Jaxson Dart's toughness after Giants lose to Eagles
Everything Eluemunor said is what Giants fans have seen since Dart took over at quarterback for the team's fourth game of the season. Dart showed off his toughness in his first start, a 21-18 win over the then-undefeated Los Angeles Chargers.
He's willing to run into the heart of a defense to gain a big first down or to reach the end zone. That has carried over into his subsequent starts, and he picked up a huge win over the Eagles on primetime. In recent years, primetime wins were a rarity for Giants fans, and Dart brought them hope.
On Sunday, Dart completed 14-of-24 pass attempts for 193 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 17 yards and a touchdown on six carries. Dart was hit a lot by the Eagles, getting sacked five times for a loss of 15 yards. Even with that, the injury to Skattebo, and the defense getting run over by the Eagles offense, not a bad outing for the rookie.
Dart is only going to get better when he gets more games under his belt. That, and when the team gives him more weapons to pair alongside Skattebo and Malik Nabers. Dart is already making a strong impression on his teammates because of his toughness and willingness to put his body on the line to lead the Giants to a win.