The New York Giants rolled into week 5 riding high off their first win of the 2025 season. Heading into the Caesars Superdome to take on the New Orleans Saints, the Giants aimed at back to back-to-back victories. Early in the week, spectators favored the Giants over the Saints, but as the game progressed, New Orleans emerged as narrow underdogs. They registered their first win of the season with a message that they still have a lot of football left in them. But after everything, there’s one thing that hurt more than anything to HC Brian Daboll.

For the Giants fans, the game quickly turned away, all thanks to the costly mistakes. To this, Daboll did not hold back. “Hard to win when you turn the ball over five times,” he said. He also gave credit to the Saints for the effort they put in to secure the victory.

Daboll praised the defense that performed well in the run game after today’s 26-14 loss to the Saints. He also spoke about the rookie QB Jaxson Dart‘s performance. “I thought he battled, you know, game got away from us from him a little bit again with those turnovers,” he said. It was an epic collapse from the young QB. Dart finished his second career start with 26 of 40 passes for 202 yards, 2 touchdowns, and two costly interceptions.

Dart also added 55 rushing yards and lost a fumble. Despite that early spark, the Giants couldn’t capitalize, falling 26-14 to the Saints. By scoring a touchdown on the opening drive, the 22-year-old continues to be a tale of two halves after just two starts in his NFL career.

Once the spark fades, struggles begin

For the second straight week, the Giants opened hot, scoring a touchdown in the opening drive. Dart was flawless to the start of the game, completing all five passes for 44 yards, capped by a touchdown strike to tight end Theo Johnson. For a team that often finds itself chasing points, playing with an early lead was really a breather. But what happens once the sparks fade?

Dart showcased flashes of athleticism, including a career-long scramble late in the first quarter, finishing with 7 carries for 55 yards. The “Dart go Kart” was moving early, but it wasn’t enough. His mobility helped the offense compensate for the absence of key players, yet costly mistakes overshadowed the positives. The tight ends stepped up in a big way to help him. With Malik Nabers sidelined, Theo Johnson and Daniel Bellinger became Dart’s favorite targets. Bellingers, who entered week 5 with just 3 catches in the season, hauled in four for 52 yards.

Johnson acted as a red-zone force with 6 receptions for 33 yards and 2 touchdowns by halftime. For a moment, it appeared that the offense had found its groove. Then came the turnovers. Dart’s third-quarter fumble against defensive end Cam Jordan was a momentum disruptor. His interceptions on fourth down in the fourth quarter, throwing on his back foot straight into the arms of cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry, were even worse. To make ot even worse, McKinstry picked him off again late in the fourth quarter. Three turnovers, zero answers.

Well, this appears to be Dart’s “welcome to the NFL” moment. He started stringing but could not finish, even struggling badly in the second half. Against a winless team, this one would definitely sting the Giants. The Eagles will definitely want to exploit this vulnerability of the young QB. If the Giants want to be taken seriously, they’ll need to put together a full 60 minutes.