“Happy we got him,” Brian Daboll couldn’t hide his emotions after Jaxson Dart led the New York Giants to their first win (21-18) of the season against the Los Angeles Chargers. The head coach hugged the rookie quarterback around his neck and then gave him a big slap on his chest. The real twist, though?

The Giants entered Week 4 with rookie Dart under center, and the 25th overall pick didn’t stick to Brian Daboll’s decade-old playbook. He made a key change to a familiar play that originally had the tight end running straight upfield.

After watching film, the 22-year-old quarterback spotted a soft spot in the defense’s zone. He shared it with the head coach Sunday morning, then told tight end Theo Johnson to adjust the route, sit in the zone instead of continuing deep. The result? A big play.

Jaxson Dart and Theo Johnson changed the route concept for the tight end on a play Brian Daboll has had in the playbook for 10 years.

Dart saw something in his film study, talked to Daboll this morning and then he went to Theo, told him to sit in the zone instead of carrying up…

— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) September 28, 2025

It’s something the rookie QB has been killing it at: Breaking down film and planning around it. “When you’re watching film, you have to know exactly what you’re talking about,” Dart said earlier this week, talking about how different it feels having every eye in the offensive meeting room on him.

And if the chatter carries any weight, the head coach recently revealed that Dart called him late at night to talk about the red zone, per Art Stapleton of USA Today.

While Daboll asked the rookie to get some sleep, the signs are clear: Jaxson Dart, in his rookie season, is trying to understand defensive schemes, as well as having effective communication with his coach and teammates.

Jaxson Dart showed tons of respect to Russell Wilson

When Brian Daboll named Jaxson Dart the Giants’ QB1, both the HC and the rookie shared one belief: Dart was going to get New York their first win of the season against the Chargers. And yes, the rookie delivered. However, after the Giants walked out with a 21-18 win at MetLife Stadium, Dart had a classy shoutout to his mentor and the team’s veteran, Russell Wilson.

“I want to give a big shoutout to Russ (Wilson),” Dart said after the game. “I know this week probably wasn’t the easiest thing, but he handled it like a professional. He was a mentor for me, and I honestly just have a ton of respect for him.”

After the first three losses with Wilson under center, Daboll named Dart as the Week 4 starter.

“It’s my decision and we’re going with Jaxson,” Daboll said, while not mentioning the reason behind benching the veteran. Wilson, on the other hand, admitted that he’ll mentor Dart moving forward. “No, I’m focused on helping this team win,” the 36-year-old quarterback said. “I’m focused on helping Jaxson.”

In his first start, Dart completed 13 of 20 passes on Sunday, throwing for 111 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. On top of that, the rookie was efficient on the ground as well, rushing for 54 yards and punching in a touchdown as well.

While it’s way too early to predict how the season will finish for the Giants, one thing’s for sure: They’re having a very different conversation today.