THE GAME:

• The Giants opened the scoring on their first possession of the game by way of a 15-yard touchdown run by QB Jaxson Dart.
  • It marks the first time the Giants have scored on an opening possession at home since 11/13/22 vs. Houston.
  • Dart's 15-yard run was the longest rushing touchdown by a Giants rookie quarterback since QB Phil Simms scored on a 17-yard run vs. San Francisco on 10/14/1979.
• The Giants took a 10-0 lead as they tacked on a 22-yard field goal by K Jude McAtamney at the beginning of the second quarter.
• The Chargers responded with a 43-yard field goal by K Cameron Dicker to make the score 10-3.
• McAtamney extended the Giants' lead to 13-3 on a 31-yard field goal with 1:52 remaining in the first half.
• The Chargers cut into the Giants' lead before halftime on a 36-yard touchdown pass from QB Justin Herbert to WR Quentin Johnston. The Giants took a 13-10 lead into the half.
• The Giants extended their lead to 21-10 on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Dart to TE Theo Johnson.
  • After the play, the Chargers were called for an unnecessary roughness penalty, which the Giants elected to apply to the 2-point attempt. RB Cam Skattebo ran up the middle to successfully convert the try.
• Los Angeles responded with a touchdown and a successful 2-point attempt of their own, cutting into the lead, 21-18. RB Omarion Hampton found the end zone on a 54-yard touchdown run, and QB Justin Herbert ran in the 2-point attempt.
• The Giants' defense held the Chargers scoreless in the fourth quarter, capturing a 21-18 victory for their first win of the season.
  • Today's win marked the first victory for the Giants over the Chargers since 9/27/98.
  • QB Jaxson Dart made his first career start and became the first Giants rookie quarterback since QB Daniel Jones at Tampa on 9/22/19 to win their first career start.

NOTES TO KNOW:

• QB Jaxson Dart finished 13-of-20 passing (65.0%) for 111 yards and 1 touchdown. On the ground, he rushed 10 times for 54 yards and 1 touchdown.
  • Dart scored on a 15-yard rushing touchdown on the game's opening possession. It was the longest rushing touchdown by a Giants rookie quarterback since QB Phil Simms scored on a 17-yard rush vs. San Francisco on 10/14/79.
  • Dart's 54 rushing yards tied QB Daniel Jones (54 yards vs. Dallas, 11/4/19) for the 4th-most rushing yards by a Giants rookie quarterback in franchise history
  • Dart became the second quarterback since 2000 to rush for 1+ touchdown, throw for 1+ touchdown and rush for 50+ yards in his first career start, joining QB Tim Tebow (1 passing touchdown, 1 rushing touchdown and 78 rushing yards at Oakland on 12/19/10).
• DL Dexter Lawrence II finished with 1 tackle, 1 tackle for loss, 1 pass defensed and recorded his first career interception and returned it 37 yards.
  • It was the first interception by a Giants defensive lineman since DE Niko Lalos recorded an interception vs. Cincinnati on 11/29/20.
  • It was the longest interception return by a Giants defensive lineman since DE Justin Tuck recorded a 41-yard return at St. Louis on 9/14/08.
• OLB Brian Burns finished with 5 tackles, 4 quarterback hits, 1 tackle for loss and 1.0 sack.
  • Burns has recorded a sack in four straight games to start the season. The last Giant to record at least 1.0 sack in each of the first four games of a season was DT Keith Hamilton in 1997.
• LB Abdul Carter recorded 5 quarterback hits today, tying OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5 quarterback hits at Dallas on 11/24/22) for the most by a Giants rookie since 2006, when quarterback hits became an official statistic.
• The Giants had three players (OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux, OLB Brian Burns and LB Abdul Carter) who produced 3+ quarterback hits each. The only other Giants trio to do this in a single game is DE Mathias Kiwanuka, DE Michael Strahan and DE Osi Umenyiora vs. Philadelphia, 9/30/07.
• CB Dru Phillips notched a career-high 4 passes defensed, 2 tackles and 1 interception.
  • His 4 passes defensed are the most by a Giant since CB James Bradberry IV recorded 4 at Chicago on 9/20/20.
  • Phillips owns 2 interceptions this season, making him the first Giant since Bradberry in 2021 to record multiple interceptions in the first four weeks of the season.