ninety- "9" problems

At this point in the season, I cannot help but laugh when watching the Giants. You can feel it. All 53 players, the coaching staff, and it sometimes even feels like the owners are simply waiting for this season from hell to finally end.

And honestly, that is the kind of football I expected to see on Sunday.

Funny enough, this was some of the best football the Giants' defense played all season long. For the first time all year, the defense was swarming. They looked prepared for an opposing offense, bringing ball carriers down on first contact instead of allowing two or three broken tackles every play. They pressured the quarterback and read his eyes well enough to break up passes down the field.

They even appeared to have their first pick-six since Christmas Day 2023, but it was wiped away when Abdul Carter was flagged for being offsides on the play.

Luckily, the rest of the Giants' defensive line made up for the rookie mistake. With under 30 seconds left in the half, Brian Burns sacked J.J. McCarthy and stripped the ball loose. Tyler Nubin scooped it up and returned it for a touchdown.

Burns was phenomenal all game once again. Despite the earlier penalty, Carter also had a strong performance, picking up his third full sack of the season. Burns added two more, bringing his total to 15, which ranks second in the NFL. 

Just when it felt like the Giants had no business being in the game, the defense found a way to keep them alive. The G Men went into halftime trailing just 13 to 10, with Minnesota also losing J.J. McCarthy, who was ruled out for the rest of the game after the sack by Brian Burns.

Still pretty remarkable, considering Jaxson Dart had completed only one forward pass in the first half.

image via Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

It honestly felt like Mike Kafka watched film of the Army-Navy game and decided that would be the Giants' game plan on Sunday. 

I understand his hesitation. The Vikings have the best pass defense in the league, and with Brian Flores dialing up some of the most creative coverages in football, it was always going to be a difficult day for a rookie quarterback. But playing scared for four quarters is inexcusable, and quite frankly, straight up soft.

If you believe Dart is the future, and most Giants fans and people inside the building seem to think he is, then you have to let him face these moments. You cannot protect him from adversity forever. Games like this are exactly how quarterbacks grow up in today's NFL. Instead, the Giants chose to concede.

The Giants lost 16-13, as Dart finished the game 7/13 with 33 passing and an interception. His worst performance to date.

I've seen a lot of chatter online about the firing of Brian Daboll, and how it may have been a mistake considering Dart's less-than-stellar play since his dismissal. While yes, it is evident he hasn't been the same, there are a few other factors that must be considered.

(image via Seth Wenig/AP Photo)

Daboll’s final game was a loss in Chicago, a game in which Jaxson Dart suffered a concussion. Since returning from that injury, Dart has clearly played more cautiously. That change in his play appears to be influenced not only by the injury itself but also by the criticism he has faced in the media.

Not to mention the fact that 80% of Dart's pass attempts are to Theo Johnson and Darius Slayton, who can't seem to hold onto the ball for the life of them.

With all due respect to Mike Kafka, he has never been this "offensive genius" he was made out to be when he came to New York. I have all the confidence that when a new coach and OC are brought in, Dart will be back to that guy who brought the juice against LA and Philly. But I'm sure that will be more of a conversation this offseason, especially if the G-Men do get the first pick.

And that possibility becomes very real with a loss against the Raiders next week, the loser likely holding the top selection in the Draft.