Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo are defining the Giants' offense.

Athlon Sports

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00:00Two rookies are driving the New York Giants' unexpected offensive renaissance.

00:04Hi, this is Doug Ferrer with Athlon Sports.

00:07The last time the New York Giants had an above-average offense was a 2014 season when they ranked 14th in offensive DVOA.

00:13Since then, it's been a bad rotation of coaches, quarterbacks, skill position players, and offensive linemen

00:19who have set Big Blue on the wrong path on the offensive side of the ball over and over.

00:242018 was Eli Manning's last good season as a Giants quarterback in his penultimate NFL season overall.

00:30From 2019 through 2024, only the Carolina Panthers had a worse overall record and win percentage

00:35than the Giants' 32-68 mark and 3-20 win rate.

00:39Obviously, these things are connected.

00:41Not only have the Giants failed with quarterback after quarterback in Manning's wake,

00:45they've also seen their own castaways succeed elsewhere.

00:47Daniel Jones, who was a first-round bust in Gotham, currently captains one of the NFL's best offenses in Indianapolis.

00:54And Geno Smith, who was with the team in 2016 and 2017 to no great renown,

00:58later put his own career in together in Seattle in ways nobody expected.

01:02In 2025, general manager Joe Shane and head coach Brian Dable went back to the well

01:07with the selection of Ole Miss' Jackson Dart with the 25th overall pick in the draft.

01:12The Giants had signed Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston as safe, veteran options

01:15until Dart was able to handle the rigors of the NFL.

01:18When quarterbacks as mercurial as Wilson and Winston are your safe options,

01:22that tells you a lot about how unbalanced things have been for the Giants at the game's most important position.

01:28Dable named Dart the starter in Week 4 after Wilson struggled mightily against the Washington Commanders

01:33and Kansas City Chiefs and only looked credible against the Dallas Cowboys' all-time horrible defense.

01:38Dart's first start came against the Los Angeles Chargers in a Jesse Minter-led defense

01:42that has put quite a few veteran quarterbacks in the blender.

01:46Dart responded with 13 completions and 20 attempts for 111 yards and a touchdown,

01:50and he also ran for 54 yards, another touchdown, and 5 first downs on 10 carries.

01:57Per next-gen stats, Dart became the first rookie quarterback to beat a team with a 3-0 or better record

02:01in his first career start, the Giants won 21-18, since Phil Simms led the Giants past the 5-0 Buccaneers in 1979.

02:10Dart also became the first quarterback since Patrick Mahomes to lead his team to an 80-plus yard touchdown drive

02:15on the first possession of his first career start.

02:17Dart orchestrated a 9-play, 89-yard touchdown drive on New York's opening possession,

02:22which he capped with his rushing rushing touchdown.

02:25Dart had his struggles against the New Orleans Saints in the 26-14 Week 5 loss,

02:30but his performance against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6 might have been a bit of a coordination.

02:35In a 34-17 upset blowout, Dart completed 17 of 25 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown.

02:41When the Eagles blitzed him, Dart completed 9 of 13 for 99 yards and a touchdown,

02:46compared to 8 of 12 for 96 yards, facing 4 or fewer rushers.

02:50So whatever the Eagles threw at him, Dart threw it right back.

02:53Dart also had 58 rushing yards on 13 attempts, 46 of those yards and a rushing touchdown coming on 6 scrambles.

02:59Moreover, Dart was making big-time throws all over Vic Fangio's defense.

03:05Dart was a bit of an underrated deep passer coming out of college,

03:08but in the 2024 season, 17 passing touchdowns of 20 or more air yards.

03:14And down to his two best receivers in Malik Nabors and Darius Slayton,

03:18Dart was left to make big plays to the likes of the delightfully named Lil' Jordan Humphrey,

03:22which he had no problem doing.

03:24It's early yet, but the Giants may have succeeded with another Ole Miss quarterback,

03:28as they did with that Manning guy in 2004.

03:31Dart is not the only rookie leading the Giants' offense into new and different dimensions.

03:36Arizona State alum Cam Scadabo, the running back who has captured the nation's attention

03:40with his head-banging style, has become quite the bargain in the fourth round.

03:44Through Week 6, Scadabo ranks third among rookie running backs in carries, 82,

03:48behind only Ashton Gianti and Quinshawn Judkins,

03:50fourth in rushing yards among rookies, behind the lead,

03:53Gianti, Judkins, and Ja'Cory Krosky-Myrd of the Washington Commanders,

03:57and no rookie running back has more touchdown runs than Scadabo's five.

04:01Against the Eagles, Scadabo really showed up.

04:03He gained 98 yards and scored three rushing touchdowns on 19 attempts.

04:0679 of those yards came after contact,

04:09and 47 came against stacked boxes featuring eight or more defenders.

04:13Scadabo recorded four explosive runs of 10-plus yards,

04:16and he was a big part of a Giants offense

04:18that has suddenly taken the pain to oppose some defenses,

04:21as opposed to feeling the pain, with undermanned options and no response.

04:24It's great that Dart and Scadabo already have an obvious personal connection,

04:28and Scadabo's folk hero status is a great story,

04:30but there's more here than meets the eye.

04:32Now on Sunday, the two rookies and the rest of the Giants

04:35have faced a very stern test in the Denver Broncos defense

04:37that has sacking and pressuring quarterbacks better than any other in the NFL,

04:41and has given up just 3.9 yards per carry,

04:43and only six runs of 10 or more yards.

04:46If Dart and Scadabo are able to navigate this credibly,

04:49they will have taken a desperately needed next step

04:51for an offense that has been falling backwards for years.

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