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Storylines to follow in Week 4 vs. Chargers

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The Giants return to MetLife Stadium on Sunday in search of their first win of the season.

The home slate opened this past Sunday with a primetime matchup against the Chiefs. The Giants kept it a one-possession game for most of the night, but the Chiefs eventually pulled away for a 22-9 victory.

Meanwhile, the Chargers come into this matchup riding a three-game winning streak to open the season, all of which came against divisional opponents. After beating the Chiefs and Raiders in Weeks 1 and 2, the Chargers defeated the Broncos, 23-20, at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.

The Chargers will now fly across the country for their first matchup against the Giants at MetLife Stadium since 2017.

Here are storylines to follow in Week 4.

Dart to make first NFL start

After a 0-3 start that saw the offense score fewer than 10 points in two of three games, the Giants decided to make a change at the quarterback position. Rookie Jaxson Dart, the 25th overall pick in this year's draft, will get the first start of his NFL career, while Russell Wilson will now serve as the backup.

"We're going forward with Jaxson and we're going to get him ready to play…" coach Brian Daboll told the media Wednesday. "I expect him to prepare, I expect him to go out here and get better each time he plays. It's not always going to be perfect, but I do think that he has the right makeup and athleticism. Look, we're going to do everything we can do to help him be the best player. I know he is as well. It's not just on one person, it's on the entire team and that's what we're going to do."

The 22-year-old quarterback has played a total of six snaps across two games this season. He has yet to attempt a pass and has one rush for three yards.

Dart put together an impressive performance during the preseason. He completed 32 of 47 passes for 372 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed six times for 52 yards (8.7 avg.) and another score while the Giants scored more than 30 points in three consecutive preseason games for the first time in franchise history.

Dart quote

The Chargers come into this game with one of the league's top defenses through the first three weeks. Los Angeles ranks ninth in passing yards allowed, while their two passing touchdowns allowed are tied for the fewest in the NFL.

See the top photos from practice as the Giants prepare for their Week 4 matchup against the Chargers.

Skattebo gets run game going

Going up against a talented Chiefs defense, the Giants got the run game going for the first time this season, led by a strong outing from Cam Skattebo. The rookie running back carried the ball 10 times for 60 yards (6.0 avg.) and scored his second touchdown in as many games. This marked the second consecutive week the 23-year-old has averaged more than 4.0 yards per carry. Skattebo also forced seven missed tackles, according to Next Gen Stats.

"Cam is a good young player to coach," coach Brian Daboll said Monday. "He runs hard. He makes few mistakes relative to understanding the schematics of things. Instinctive player and made the most of his opportunity."

Skattebo also made a big impact in the passing game. The rookie led the team with six receptions for 61 yards, with 58 yards coming after the catch. He became just the eighth rookie in franchise history to have 60+ rushing yards and 60+ receiving yards in the same game. Skattebo now ranks fifth among NFL rookies in total yards from scrimmage, with the four guys ahead of him all being first-round picks.

Tyrone Tracy Jr. suffered a shoulder injury early in Week 3, which paved the way for Skattebo to get an extended look. The rookie could be looking at another big workload this week against a Chargers defense that just gave up 118 yards on the ground to the Broncos.

Opportunity for pass rush

The Giants pass rush has had solid production through the first three games of the season. The team's eight sacks are tied for 10th in the league, with the unit recording three sacks of Jayden Daniels, three of Dak Prescott, and two of Patrick Mahomes. Brian Burns has been leading the way after getting his season off to a dominant start. Burns has already picked up four sacks, which sits just a half-sack behind Green Bay's Rashan Gary for the most in the NFL, while his five tackles for loss are tied for the third-most.

Burns is not the only pass rusher that has found success getting after the quarterback. Kayvon Thibodeaux ranks second on the team with 1.5 sacks, although his five quarterback hits are tied with Burns for the team lead. The two have combined for 25 quarterback pressures through the first three games, while rookie Abdul Carter has added another 11.

Los Angeles has surrendered 10 sacks so far this year, tied with Cincinnati for the sixth-most in the league. The Chargers lost All-Pro tackle Rashawn Slater during training camp, and his replacement, Trey Pipkins, suffered an injury last week. Meanwhile, starting guard Mekhi Becton suffered a concussion against the Broncos.

Thomas' return provides boost

The offensive line received a boost this past weekend as left tackle Andrew Thomas made his 2025 debut. Thomas played almost the entire first half before being replaced by rookie Marcus Mbow, which coach Brian Daboll said after the game was always the plan for the starting left tackle.

The 26-year-old ended up playing 28 offensive snaps, 12 of which were pass block snaps, and did not allow a single pressure. Additionally, 86 of the Giants' 130 rushing yards against the Chiefs came when Thomas was in at left tackle, including most of the production from the Giants' running backs.

It was encouraging to see the left tackle step onto the field for the first time in nearly a year and pick up right where he left off. More importantly, Daboll told the media that Thomas came out of the game feeling good.

Thomas was listed as a limited participant on the first injury report of the week Wednesday.

Scouting the Chargers

The Chargers enter this game as one of the six remaining undefeated teams across the NFL. All three of their wins thus far have come against AFC West opponents, as they have already opened up a two-game lead over the rest of the division. Complementary football has helped lead to the three-game win streak, with the offense averaging 23.3 points per game while the defense has allowed an average of 16.7 points per game.

"Coach (Jim) Harbaugh has done a great job the past two years here," Daboll said on Wednesday. "He also did a great job at San Francisco, Stanford, Michigan. I think the trademark from his teams is overall toughness. They execute well and they do a really good job."

However, the biggest reason for the Chargers' early success has been the play of their quarterback.

Justin Herbert has reminded the NFL world that he's one of the league's top quarterbacks with his performance through three games. The 27-year-old has completed 66.7 percent of his passes for a league-high 860 yards to go with six touchdowns and just one interception while also adding 69 yards on the ground. Herbert has done a great job of spreading the ball around to his top three wideouts as Keenan Allen (19 receptions for 194 yards and three touchdowns), Ladd McConkey (15 receptions for 163 yards) and Quentin Johnston (14 receptions for 239 yards and three touchdowns) have all made an early impact.

"Herbert, the quarterback, exceptional young quarterback, athletic, gifted throwing the football, productive, can scramble, can make plays with his feet," said Daboll. "Then he has three receivers that are all a little bit different, but he throws it to them about 70% of the time. Keenan Allen, seems like he never ages, has a knack of getting open, a tough cover. A lot of respect for what he's done for a long time. (Quentin Johnston) Q is fast, he's big, he's strong, he can stretch a vertical. McConkey is a really good football player, play in any spot, a go-to guy in certain situations, but he's a tough cover."

Following running back Najee Harris' season-ending Achilles injury last week, the Chargers' backfield now belongs to rookie Omarion Hampton. The 22nd overall pick has carried the ball 42 times for 142 yards and a touchdown while adding nine receptions for 73 yards through three games, but had 129 yards from scrimmage and his lone touchdown this past week, most of which came after Harris' injury.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Chargers have been one of the top units through three games. They have the No. 4 scoring defense and have allowed the eighth-fewest yards. While the defense has talented players on all three levels, the success of the unit begins with four-time Pro Bowl safety Derwin James.

"They've got one of the best players on the defensive side of the ball, Derwin James," the head coach added. "He can play down, he can play back, he's long, rangy, athletic, tough. I remember preparing for him back in '17 when I was at Alabama. We were one, I think they were three, or vice versa. Watching this guy in college and then as he's moved on in the pros, he's an exceptional, exceptional player."

View photos from the all-time series between the Giants and Chargers, which dates back to 1971.

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