Jaxson Dart made sure to sing Russell Wilson’s praises after the rookie quarterback led the New York Giants to their first win of the season.
Dart finally got the starting nod over Wilson on Sunday, and the Ole Miss product repaid the Giants’ trust in a big way. The 22-year-old led New York to a 21-18 win over the previously undefeated Los Angeles Chargers in front of a rabid crowd at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
After the game, Dart was asked how he felt about scoring a win in his first NFL start. The rookie QB didn’t take long before mentioning Wilson.
“I obviously want to give a big shoutout to [Russell Wilson],” Dart told reporters. “I know that this week probably wasn’t the easiest thing, but he handled it like a professional, just was a mentor for me. I just have a ton of respect for him.”
Dart had been expected to supplant Wilson as the starter even before the Giants’ season began. The question was more about when rather than if it would happen.
With the Giants beginning the season 0-3, the clamor for Dart to get his chance grew too loud for the team to ignore. Giants fans were chanting loudly for Dart to replace Wilson as New York stumbled in Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Giants head coach Brian Daboll tried to ease Dart into the job during Sunday’s win over the Chargers. The first-round pick attempted just 20 passes, connecting on 13 of them for 111 yards. In comparison, Wilson averaged more than 36 passing attempts per game over the Giants’ first three games.
The Giants instead relied on their run game, with Dart contributing 54 rushing yards and a touchdown to the cause.
