Jon Gruden questions Brian Daboll's hesitation to start Jaxson Dart after Russell Wilson fails miserably in Giants' season opener vs. Commanders

NFL: New England Patriots at New York Giants - Source: Imagn
NFL: New England Patriots at New York Giants - Source: Imagn

As many expected, Russell Wilson started for the New York Giants over Jaxson Dart in Week 1 against the Washington Commanders. As many also expected, the Giants struggled to keep pace with the Commanders, falling 21-6.

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With Wilson at the helm of Brian Daboll's offense, all the Giants could muster were two field goal drives. New York had no answer to Washington, which ran over the visitors with 220 rushing yards. The Giants recorded merely 74 yards on the ground and 157 through the air.

Among the many who criticized Daboll's call to start Wilson instead of Dart were former Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden. He was hoping to see the rookie in action following his preseason performance, but was left disappointed in several ways after Week 1.

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"Too many New York Giants leave the building and play better," he said, via Wake Up Barstool on X. "And then, yesterday, I was eager to watch Skattebo, I was eager to watch Jaxson Dart, and I just see another six-point performance from the G-men. Very disappointing against a common opponent like the Washington Commanders."
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He was pressed on the matter of Dart not starting, to which he responded:

"I thought [Dart] had an excellent preseason. I don't know why you don't give him all the reps and give him all the development that it takes to get ready to play. This is what the Giants need. They need a fresh start at quarterback. And I think yesterday is a perfect indication to give Jaxson Dart the ball. It's time to move on."
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Looking at Russell Wilson's performance with Jaxson Dart on the sideline

Even though the Giants had more time of possession than the Commanders, Russell Wilson couldn't make the most of it.

Scrambling to keep up with the onslaught of the Commanders, Wilson threw 37 passes. He completed a mere 17 of those throws for a 45.9 completion percentage. His 17 passes totaled 168 yards and no scores, giving him a quarterback rating of 61.9, which paled in comparison to Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels's 106.3.

Giants Nation! Check out the latest New York Giants Schedule and dive into the Giants Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

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Edited by Nicolaas Ackermann
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