Matthew Stafford is the perfect example of what Giants want Jaxson Dart to become
Get texts from Paul Schwartz with all the latest Giants news and insights, exclusive to Sports+ subscribers.The Rams know what they are going to get from Matthew Stafford almost every week.
No player is great every game, but Stafford has a standard of excellence that has stood the test of time.That is why last week’s stinker is viewed as an anomaly.
Stafford usually puts together a performance good enough to win and often great enough to win big.Stafford’s record as a starting quarterback across 17 years is 120-119-1, a byproduct of playing for bad to middling Lions teams for a dozen seasons.He is 46-29 in six years with the Rams and a big reason why, despite a clunker in Australia to open the 2026 season, his team is considered a serious Super Bowl contender.It is the goal of any franchise to find its own Matthew Stafford.
The Giants want to believe they are on their way with Jaxson Dart.Dart, after a promising rookie year, was sensational in last week’s season-opening 28-20 victory over the Cowboys.It looked as if he made enormous strides as he embarked on Year 2, playing with great confidence and smarts from the pocket and under center, two areas the new coaching staff, led by John Harbaugh, insisted would be a focus for the 23-year-old.How good was Dart? He became the first player ever with at least three touchdown passes, a passer rating of 130 or higher and 50 or more rushing yards in a season opener.
Dart tossed two scoring passes to tight end Isaiah Likely and one to running back Devin Singletary, ran for 54 yards and compiled a passer rating of 134.2, a career high in his 13 NFL starts.“There’s a lot of things that factor into that performance Week 1, and first and foremost it’s Jaxson’s willingness to work at it,’’ quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Brian Callahan said.“He spent a ton of time.
It’s really important to him.Everything that we do he tries to do it exactly how we ask it, and he’s also got the athleti...