Following a one-sided defeat at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs on prime-time television, concluding a winless 0-3 beginning, Giants head coach Brian Daboll hesitated to affirm Russell Wilson as New York’s signal-caller.
Daboll faced inquiries multiple times during his Monday press briefing to define Wilson’s standing. He sidestepped the question each time.
“We’re assessing all roster choices, and we’ll address that over the coming days,” Daboll stated when questioned about whether Wilson would remain the starting player moving forward.
Daboll was then asked to explain what that indicated about Wilson’s place as the starting quarterback.
“We’re proceeding as we typically do, which involves reviewing the game footage,” Daboll continued. … “That’s our current focus.”
Daboll was again asked to clarify New York’s quarterback position.
“We’ll observe, we’re currently going through the film,” Daboll continued. “We’re assessing everything.”
He was then directly asked if a change at quarterback is being considered.
“I’d say we’re assessing everything,” he responded.
The transition to Jaxson Dart as New York’s starting quarterback appears inevitable.
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Is it Jaxson Dart time?
It certainly suggests Daboll is weighing the possibility of replacing Wilson. If that happens, the Giants would seemingly insert first-round draftee Jaxson Dart at quarterback instead. Daboll and the Giants are faced with this decision before a Week 4 game against the 3-0 Los Angeles Chargers.
The Giants secured Wilson as a free agent in March, signing him to a one-year contract with a possible value of $21.5 million and $10.5 million secured. One month later, they selected Dart as the No. 25 pick in the NFL Draft out of Mississippi.
The strategy was evident. Wilson was intended to be a temporary quarterback until the Giants eventually passed the responsibility to Dart. It seemed to be a question of when, not if. Following an 0-3 start in which New York’s offense has fluctuated between ineffective and dynamic, there is increasing pressure to accelerate that process.
Is Russ cooked?
New York performed terribly in a season-opening 21-6 defeat to the Washington Commanders, where they failed to score a touchdown and Wilson completed only 46% of his passes.
The following week, the Giants showed promise in an overtime battle with the Cowboys, which Dallas won, 40-37. Wilson completed 30 of 41 passes for 450 yards with three touchdowns in that game, briefly silencing concerns about transitioning to Dart.
However, those concerns quickly resurfaced Sunday night as the Giants scored only one touchdown in a 22-9 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Wilson completed 56% of his passes for 160 yards (5 yards per attempt) with no touchdowns and two interceptions.
The Week 2 offensive display is now largely attributed to Dallas’ subpar defense rather than Wilson’s capabilities as a starter in his 14th NFL season.
A 10-time Pro Bowler, Wilson was among the NFL’s top players during his peak. However, with his athletic abilities diminished, it has been several seasons since he could assert that distinction. Consider Sunday night’s third-down scramble attempt in the red zone against Kansas City:
Pressure’s on Daboll
Wilson’s struggles have increased the calls for Dart to start. Is Dart prepared after making limited appearances in New York’s initial three games? Will he improve New York’s offense compared to Wilson? It remains uncertain. However, Giants supporters are eager to find out.
Daboll, meanwhile, is probably coaching to maintain his position after surviving last season’s scrutiny and a 3-14 record. The choice he makes at quarterback could determine his future with the team. Nevertheless, neither choice guarantees he will keep his job.
