On to the real thing.

The Giants wrapped up their preseason slate with a dominant 42-10 victory over the Patriots at MetLife Stadium on Thursday night.

It was the seventh time in franchise history the Giants (3-0) finished undefeated in the preseason.

With the preseason now in the rearview mirror, the next step is to get the active roster down to 53 players, which is required by 4 p.m. Tuesday. Once the initial 53-man roster is set, the Giants will fill out their practice squad and then it's full steam ahead towards the Week 1 matchup against the Commanders.

Here is what we learned from the preseason finale.

Offense continues to shine

When the clock struck zeroes, the Giants had finished the preseason finale with 42 points. This marked the first time ever that the team scored 30 or more points in three straight preseason games, totaling 107 points across the three contests.

The Giants racked up 431 total yards of offense just five days after registering 478 total yards of offense against the Jets. The offense also totaled 25 first downs, more than double than New England (12). It was a balanced attack with 320 yards coming in the air and the other 111 coming on the ground (with an average of 4.6 yards per carry).

Overall, the Giants scored 107 points across the three preseason contests, which coach Brian Daboll attributes to the hard work that was put in each and every day throughout training camp.

"I think just the effort of the guys is what we're really focused on, the discipline, their team first attitude, their work ethic, big things, accountability to one another, to the coaches, to the players," Daboll said after the win. "Again, it's a process of training camp to the preseason games and being able to execute regardless of who is in there. There is a standard that I'm going to hold everybody to, and we got 17 days here before the first one. So got a lot of work to still get done."

Dart: "My job is just be the best teammate and be ready"

Jaxson Dart started under center for the first time in his NFL career on Thursday. The Giants won the coin toss, with Dart and fellow rookie Abdul Carter serving as team captains, and chose to receive the ball. Dart took the field and proceeded to drive the offense all the way down the field in the blink of an eye. It took just five plays and 2:01 minutes for the offense to move 65 yards and into the end zone, capped off by a seven-yard touchdown pass from Dart to tight end Greg Dulcich.

The 22-year-old quarterback put on a show all throughout the preseason. Across the three games, Dart completed 32 of 47 passes (68.1 percent) for 372 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He also added 52 yards and an additional score on the ground. Despite Dart's strong showing this summer, Daboll has remained steadfast that veteran Russell Wilson is the starting quarterback. The team has a plan for Dart, and the rookie's preseason performance is not going to make them veer off that path. No matter when he takes the field next, Dart will be ready to help the team win any way he can.

"I feel like whenever my number is called, I'm going to go out there and I am going to play my game and ball," the rookie said after the preseason finale. "That's my mindset any time I touch the field. Obviously, Russ is the starter and he's going to be amazing. He's had such a great camp and has played at an elite level. So my job is just be the best teammate and be ready whenever it is, but I'm excited for Russ and what he's going to do this year."

The thing that stood out the most about Dart during the preseason is that every time he took the field, he looked cool, calm, and collected. The moment never seemed too big for the rookie as he operated the offense efficiently and with ease. There is no doubt these preseason reps were invaluable for the young quarterback as he continues to develop.

"I've learned a lot about preparation going into games, especially at this level," Dart said about his preseason experience. "I've just felt more and more comfortable each week. I think that attributes to just the time I put into trying to learn the system to the best of my ability. I've also learned that every guy out there on the field is an elite player in what they do. You know, you can't let one mistake lead to another one and little things in your game will get exposed.

"So I think through my time in camp I've been able to grow and learn from a lot of those things, and then when I come out on the field, I'm able to translate that to the game. The biggest thing is just preparation."

DeVito: "It was a lot of fun"

While Jaxson Dart and Jameis Winston split the snaps in the first half, the second half belonged solely to Tommy DeVito. The third-year quarterback had perhaps his best game yet as a Giant as he completed an impressive 85 percent of his passes (17 of 20) for 198 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, earning a passer rating of 147.5.

"It was a lot of fun," DeVito told the media after the game. "It's been a little while since I've gotten some good time to be able to go in there and play. The first preseason was two drives, just about; last one was one drive. So to be able to have not a set amount of time, felt good to be able to go out there and play football again."

The Giants completely revamped their quarterback room this offseason between the additions of Russell Wilson, Dart, and Winston. DeVito was the lone returnee of the group, and based on the contract situations of the other three, the 27-year-old was always facing an uphill battle to make the team. But DeVito has found a way to beat the odds at every stage of his football career up to this point, and he's ready to face whatever situation lies ahead.

"I think about that in the sense of every time you go on the field you never know what's going to be your last," DeVito said about his mindset. "Having the rollercoaster I've had in the past with injuries and playing performance, whatever it is, every time I go out, I try to put my all because never know when it is going to be your last."

Who knows what the future holds for DeVito, but if Thursday was the last time he puts on a Giants jersey, the signal-caller certainly went out on a high note.

"Means a lot," DeVito said about his performance. "Like you said, the ovation, if I was in the stands I would be cheering for anybody who was the hometown kid, too. It was appreciated. To go out and execute, still things to clean up, but felt good getting some time with two whole quarters to go out and play and feel the energy, excitement, and love for the game again."

Giants release 8 players as roster trimming begins

Between today and Tuesday, countless players across the NFL will be cut as team's trim their rosters down to 53 players by Tuesday's 4 p.m. deadline. The Giants began the process of getting down to 53 on Friday with releasing eight players:

• WR Jordan Bly
• LB K.J. Cloyd
• CB O'Donnell Fortune
• LB Dyontae Johnson
• C Jimmy Morrissey
• WR Zach Pascal
• WR Montrell Washington
• OL Jaison Williams

This is undoubtedly one of the toughest times of the year, as Daboll noted after the win over the Patriots.

"They put so much time and effort into being the best they can be to try to make a roster," the head coach said Thursday night. "Unfortunately you can only keep a certain amount. I certainly appreciate everybody's work ethic and commitment to the team. Even the way the guys were playing all the way up to the end. I know it's the third preseason game, but I think there is something to be said for the level of discipline and accountability and effort they give all the way through. Guys on the sideline jumping up and down and running down after TJ (Moore) had that pick. We're trying to build something, but these next couple days are tough. Tough on the players and tough on the personnel staff, the coaching staff, because this is a relationship business."