Brian Daboll took the podium following the Giants' 31-12 victory over the Jets, which improved the team's preseason record to 2-0.
The head coach discussed the development plan for rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart (which is producing early returns), why he played his healthy starters once again, and of course, Russell Wilson's 80-yard moonball.
Here's everything you need to know:
📰 Backup quarterbacks never know when they are going to have to enter a game. That's why Daboll put Dart into the game for one play during a Wilson drive with the starters. "He didn't know it. He threw a little screen pass for 30 [yards to Theo Johnson], doesn't hurt."
📰 While it was a surprise to the rookie and even the coaches, Daboll tipped off the veteran. "Coach and I had kind of talked before just between me and him that he was going to send him out there at some point just to randomly surprise him and then put me back in," Wilson said.
📰 Dart has met expectations by the Giants, who traded up to select him 25th overall. "That's why we drafted him. We spent a lot of time with him, have a lot of confidence in the young man. He's done a good job for us since he's been here in every area you could do, off the field, on the field, leadership, moxie, intelligence, but it's early. We've played a couple preseason games against probably some vanilla looks but he's making strides every day and that's all you can ask of any other young player."
📰 Daboll and Dart have a good relationship both on the field and off it. "Does he make mistakes? Absolutely, he makes mistakes, he makes a lot of them. I make a lot of them, but you learn together and for a young quarterback, you grow together and that's what we're doing. We're making mistakes, we're trying to learn from them, making some good plays, you learn from those. That's where we're at. Early part of a young quarterback's development."
📰 On Wilson's 80-yard completion to undrafted rookie Beaux Collins on his first throw of the game: "Hit the post. What a great ball by Russ, right? Eighty-yard bomb, dropped it in the bucket. Great protection by the offensive line off an action pass. Really just great vision by Russ to lay it up there and we were an inch short, whatever it was."
📰 Wilson did throw one interception, however, while attempting to find Collins again in the end zone. "That's just some time on task – I can do a better job with that, but I like the aggressive nature of the quarterbacks – all the quarterbacks." Daboll added: "They haven't worked that particular route. I'm not too concerned about that."
📰 The offensive line has performed well, but it's a team effort. "I think everybody helps the offensive line out. The offensive line has done a nice job but the quarterbacks got to throw it on time, in rhythm, pull the trigger. When he sees it, let it go. Backs got to protect, receivers got to run the right depth, the routes. It's an all-encompassing thing on offensive football."
📰 Is the team more ready after playing starters extensively in the preseason this year? "Time will tell."
