After a disheartening 22-9 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the New York Giants made the bold decision to pull the plug on Russell Wilson and start Jaxson Dart. The Giants’ fanbase was clamoring for the move, chanting “We Want Dart” during Sunday night’s game against Kansas City and booing when Wilson returned to the huddle.
The move likely also has to do with Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll’s job security, as one last way to turn things around before Giants fans want them ousted from their positions, particularly Daboll.
Both Schoen and Daboll were instrumental in the decision to trade back into the first round for Dart, so whether the rookie quarterback succeeds or not will likely determine each of their futures in East Rutherford.
By playing Dart, Daboll has confidence in his ability to win now, which he showcased in the preseason. Despite a career day from Wilson in which he threw for 450 yards and three touchdowns against the Cowboys, he looked horrible in the other two games.
The boos only grew louder when Wilson hopelessly threw the ball out of the back of the end zone on several plays against the Chiefs, which included one on fourth down, when Kansas City would get the ball back no matter what. Wilson went just 18-32 with 160 yards, no touchdowns, and two costly interceptions on awful throws.
With morale at an all-time low, both within the team and the fanbase, there was not much further the Giants could spiral by changing quarterbacks, and Jaxson Dart is set to make his first NFL start on Sunday against a red-hot Chargers team with a solid defense. Here are three things to watch out for when New York hosts Los Angeles at MetLife Stadium.
How Will Jaxson Dart Perform Against A Top Defense?
The big focus for the Giants will be how Jaxson Dart performs in his first start against a top defense in the Chargers. Jim Harbaugh’s team comes in 3-0 and boasts a top-ten defense in several categories, including being the league’s top red zone defense. Los Angeles has allowed offenses to score a touchdown on just 25% of trips inside their 20-yard line.
The Chargers are eighth in total defense, averaging 276.7 yards per game, and ninth in passing defense, averaging 182 yards per game. Los Angeles also boasts the ninth-best rushing defense and fourth-best scoring defense in the NFL, averaging under 17 points allowed per game and only allowing four total touchdowns in three games.
Cam Skattebo will likely be a prominent option for Dart, with the bruising running back carrying the offense against Kansas City, breaking contact, and fighting for extra yards on multiple occasions as he has been known to do.
Skattebo had 10 carries for 60 yards and a rushing touchdown, while also recording six receptions for 61 yards. In Dart’s first game, having a player like that by his side in the backfield should definitely make life easier.
Dart will also have the luxury of being protected by All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas, who played in limited snaps against the Chiefs but looked very solid in his return from last season’s Lisfranc injury. Malik Nabers also returned to practice after sitting out of Wednesday’s practice after suffering a shoulder injury against the Chiefs.
With Darius Slayton, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Theo Johnson in the playmaking department, Dart should have enough weapons at his disposal to keep the Chargers defense guessing. On top of that, look for read-option plays for Dart, who can take off and pick up a first down, sometimes even lowering his shoulder against defenders along the way.
Some of the top players the Giants’ offense will have to face will be linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu, who already has 16 pressures on the season, the interior defensive line of Da’Shawn Hand, Teair Tart, and Jamaree Caldwell, and versatile safety Derwin James, who often lines up as a hybrid linebacker and gets into the backfield to make impact plays.
Giants’ Defense Must Contend With Explosive Chargers’ Offense
On the other side of the ball, Los Angeles will bring a star-studded offense cross-country, which will be a big challenge for the Giants’ defense to slow down. Justin Herbert is one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks, and this year, he has the supporting cast to make a big impact.
Herbert has been finding his top two receivers early and often, with Allen and Johnston making two of the least probable completions in the NFL this season. Neither pass had a higher than a 20% chance of being caught, and yet both were caught by the Chargers’ top two receivers.
Meanwhile, Omarion Hampton will be the starting back for the Bolts for the rest of the season after Najee Harris tore his Achilles tendon last week. Like Cam Skattebo, he is a strong contact runner, with 122 out of his 142 rushing yards coming after contact this season.
Along with all of those playmakers, shifty wide receiver Ladd McConkey has flourished with the Chargers and is often used as the motion man in the offense. Tight ends Tyler Conklin, Will Dissly, and Oronde Gadsden II make for a nice trio, with Conklin and Gadsden being the primary pass-catchers while Dissly is mainly an in-line blocker.
The Chargers’ offensive line is also very solid and will be a good match for the Giants’ defensive line, with Joe Alt, Zion Johnson, Bradley Bozeman, Mekhi Becton, and Trey Pipkins III being the starting lineup from left to right. However, Becton is currently in concussion protocol, opening the door for Jamaree Salyer to be inserted at right tackle.
Los Angeles uses play-action more than many other teams, which is compounded by their relatively weaker rushing attack to start the season. The Chargers have also been looking to take more deep shots with their talented receivers, so Herbert tends to hold onto the football too long at times.
With the pressure of the Giants’ defensive front rushing Herbert, the linebackers must cover the middle of the field and not allow easy completions in the soft spots reserved for tight ends and pass-catching running backs.
The secondary will be tasked with matching up against Keenan Allen and Quentin Johnston, with Paulson Adebo likely matching up with Johnston and Flott guarding Allen, with the safeties looking to contain big plays that could slip behind the cornerbacks. Against the Chargers, the last line of defense will likely be needed on at least a few occasions.
Jude McAtamney To Take Over Kicking Duties With Graham Gano Injured
A recurring issue for the Giants reared its ugly head this week against the Chiefs when Graham Gano suffered an injury during pregame warmups that forced punter Jamie Gillan to attempt kicks in the first half. Although Gano returned for the second half, the injury will keep him out of the game against the Chargers, and possibly longer if it lingers.
New York signed Younghoe Koo to the practice squad, so the expectation from many Giants fans and media members was that he would get the start. However, the Giants’ brass went in the other direction, activating Jude McAtamney to the active roster for tomorrow’s contest and keeping Koo on the practice squad.
Despite formerly being a Pro Bowl kicker with the Atlanta Falcons, Koo made just 73.5% of his field goals and struggled particularly from attempts in the 30 and 40-yard ranges in 2024.
His accuracy continued to decline in 2025, making just 66.7% of his kicks and missing a 44-yard attempt that prevented the Falcons from getting a season-opening home victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
With Koo’s poor performance leading to his release, another reason for McAtamney getting the start is likely due to Koo struggling on kickoffs in practice this week. Jordan Raanan of ESPN posted this tweet from his observations at Giants practice.
McAtamney, who grew up in Northern Ireland and showed scouts his talents at nearby Rutgers, signed with the Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2024, being given the team’s exempt/international roster spot as part of the International Player Pathway Program.
He was called off the practice squad last November, making an extra point and a 31-yard field goal in New York’s 27-22 home loss to the Washington Commanders before returning to the bench for Graham Gano.
This year, the Giants may have to rely on McAtamney a bit longer, although they do have another option. With Gano’s injuries seemingly coming at the worst time, Joe Schoen made the wise decision to bring in extra insurance.
Schoen, Daboll, Dart, and company will need McAtamney to be at his best on Sunday, with the Giants likely to need every point they can get against an undefeated Chargers team with a strong offense, defense, and special teams unit of its own.
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