On its face, the Giants' decision to start rookie Jaxson Dart over veteran Russell Wilson seems pretty uncomplicated. Wilson is playing poorly, New York is 0-3, and, at this point, no one has anything to lose by giving the rookie a shot.
But of course, there is more to it than that. On Wednesday, ESPN insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano shared a bit of intel as to why the Giants chose this moment to make the change.
According to Fowler, this was for "two primary reasons." First, the "offensive output in two of the first three games was unpleasant, to say the least," he wrote. (If you don't believe him, take a look at Wilson's disastrous red zone possession from Sunday night's loss to the Chiefs.)
And second, "Dart has hit every benchmark coach Brian Daboll and the staff set in this process," Fowler continued. "He proved to be a highly motivated fast learner in the offseason and sustained that momentum throughout camp. In preseason games, he made quick decisions and showed deft ball placement.
"He's also, as one team source put it, 'tough as s---.' All that, coupled with his mobility, gives the Giants a better chance to win games at this stage, despite the inevitable miscues that come with a rookie quarterback. It's not complicated. Dart appears ready."
Graziano, meanwhile, noted that the Giants thought they had enough weapons and support around Wilson that they could win games "while Dart took his time to get ready." Now, we know that's really not the case. "Wilson has looked like a shell of his former self," Graziano wrote. "And the 0-3 record left the Giants little choice at this point."
The decision to start Dart in Week 4 was announced on Tuesday, but on Wednesday, head coach Brian Daboll confirmed New York would be rocking with Dart for the remainder of the season. And with that, it would seem that the Wilson experiment is over; it's time for Dart to make his mark.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Report: Two 'Primary Reasons' Giants Chose Now to Start Jaxson Dart Over Russell Wilson.
