“He did what he was supposed to do…was prepared. He put a lot of time and effort into it,” Brian Daboll said, his grin as subtle as a halftime adjustment. The Giants’ head coach isn’t one for grand proclamations—think more Mad Men’s Don Draper with a headset—but when he praises rookie Jaxson Dart’s minicamp poise, you lean in. Because in New York, where every QB whisper is dissected like a game-winning drive, Dart’s early rhythm has folks buzzing louder than Times Square at midnight.

If we turn back just a year, then we see that one of the worst-kept secrets for the franchise was their head coach’s intention to take over the offensive play calling from offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. And well, we all witnessed how that played out. The offense not only finished worse than it had under Mike Kafka amid inconsistent quarterback play, it also suffered because the 50-year-old spent a little too much time on the offense and not enough on the defense or the special teams.

And to add to this, his playcalling was so bad that it brought forth a line of questioning from the team co-owner, John Mara. Though he didn’t force the head coach to give up the role but he sure made him reflect if it was in the team’s interest. But if the wind is to be felt now, things might be on their way to change.

Let’s cut through the fog like a Saquon Barkley juke: Mike Kafka, the Giants’ OC, called plays at rookie camp. Again. Last season, we saw Daboll yanked those duties mid-year like a QB1 benching, but now? When pressed, Daboll just nodded “no” and mumbled “good observation”—a line so cryptic it’d make True Detective’s Rust Cohle smirk.

Kafka, though, isn’t some clipboard rookie. At Northwestern, he once slung 532 yards in a bowl game, a record that still screams ‘YOLO’ in the Big Ten history books. Now, mentoring Dart, he’s blending that gunslinger past with Patrick Mahomes’ polished wisdom.

The Giants’ offense? It’s a puzzle missing edge pieces. Daboll’s calling card—grit meets gadget plays—has sputtered since 2022’s Cinderella run. Last year’s 3–14 freefall left fans groaning louder than a Daniel Jones interception. But Kafka’s resurgence hints at a reboot. Think Tyrion rebuilding the empire: calculated, quiet, lethal. If Daboll’s the CEO, Kafka’s the COO scripting the comeback. And Dart? He’s the wildcard rookie with a playbook IQ sharper than an Odell Beckham Jr. one-hander.

Jaxson Dart: Part QB1, Brian Daboll’s part boy scout (always prepared)

Let’s be real: Rookie minicamp ain’t the Super Bowl. But when Dart dropped dimes Friday, 8-of-10 in 7-on-7s, including a back-shoulder beauty that’d make Eli Manning nod. Daboll was gushing like anything: “I got a lot of appreciation for how he’s gone about short amount of time his business, and that’s what’s most important, is how we can get him to a routine meeting with players extra, having walkthroughs at the hotels, communication.” 

“That’s part of playing quarterback is being on top of all those little things and if he can’t be on top of him, then the other guys, if they don’t know him, he can’t direct him in the right direction … how he’s gone about his business as a young pro at that position is important.” Daboll added, praising Dart’s “young pro” vibe. Translation: Kid’s got the ‘it’ factor—a mix of TikTok charm and Tom Brady–level grind.

Dart’s not alone. Rookie TE Thomas Fidone, whose knees have more comeback stories than ‘Rocky,’ shrugged off his two ACL tears: “They made me who I am… train harder, come back better.” Meanwhile, OL Marcus Mbow’s mantra—“learn, learn, learn”—could double as the Giants’ 2025 slogan. Even 7th-round CB Korie Black got a FaceTime from Russ Wilson post-draft. “Random number? ” Nah, but when ‘DangeRuss’ pops up? That’s cinema.

The Giants’ 2025 vibe? It’s jazz—improvised, raw, teeming with solos. Daboll’s still the conductor, but Kafka’s riffing like a sideline Miles Davis. Dart’s the new saxophonist, hitting notes high enough to make MetLife sway. Sure, the cap’s tighter than a goal-line stand ($1.67 M space, yikes), and the schedule’s a gauntlet. But in a city that worships underdogs, this crew’s got the makings of a cult classic—think Pulp Fiction with more audibles.

So, who’s calling plays in Week 1? Daboll’s keeping that closer than the final score of ’08’s Super Bowl. But if Dart’s minicamp was a trailer, the main event might just be must-see TV. Because in New York, hope’s the ultimate Hail Mary—and right now, it’s soaring.