Tag: Wilson

Russell Wilson might be the starting quarterback for the New York Giants when the undefeated Los Angeles Chargers visit this week, but head coach Brian Daboll was still in the evaluation stage on Monday less than 24 hours after a 22-9 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Daboll opened the door to questions about the QB1 role after a Week 1 loss at Washington only to stick with Wilson. He threw for 350 yards and three touchdowns at Dallas in a 40-37 overtime loss in Week 2.

But Wilson had a rough outing in primetime Sunday night and his current passer rating of 78.5 is 23rd in the league. He has three touchdowns and three interceptions in three games.

“We’re going through the tape right now. We’re evaluating everything,” Daboll said Monday, adding the day-after game routine is standard practice for coaches who will next meet with players.

The Giants utilized rookie first-round pick Jaxson Dart as a change-of-pace option on one possession in the second half. He ran the ball twice and totaled zero net yards with one 3-yard run. Fans at MetLife Stadium booed when Dart went back to the bench mid-drive with Wilson returning to the field.

Asked if a quarterback change was on the table, Daboll said, “I’d say we’re evaluating everything.”

The Giants went 1 of 10 on third down against Kansas City and came away with one touchdown in three possessions in the red zone. They have two red-zone TDs on 10 possessions inside the opponents’ 20 this season.

The Giants are 27th in the NFL in scoring (17.3 points per game) and 31st in the red zone as well as third-down conversion percentage (27.5).

“In order to improve the passing game, I’d say that was the No. 1 thing we need to improve from (Sunday) as a collective, everybody has to be doing the right thing,” Daboll said. “As a collective. It’s not on one guy.

“We’re working through all of personnel decisions and we’ll do that over the next few days.”

–Field Level Media

The New York Giants aren’t ready to park the Russ bus, with head coach Brian Daboll confirming Monday that veteran Russell Wilson will remain the starting quarterback in Week 2.

Daboll had been noncommittal Sunday after Wilson struggled in his Giants debut, completing 17 of 37 passes for 168 yards in a season-opening 21-6 loss at NFC East rival Washington. He led the team with 44 rushing yards on eight carries.

“After a game — it’s an emotional game, tough game,” Daboll said Monday. “Didn’t play particularly well, I would say collectively, but in terms of making any of those decisions — really at any position or schematic changes — I’d like to do it with a clear head and watch the tape. Again, like I said (Sunday), that game doesn’t fall on Russell Wilson. We got to do a better job collectively; coaching, playing. But Russ will be the starter.”

The Giants face another division foe with a trip to face the Dallas Cowboys (also 0-1) in Week 2.

Wilson recovered his own fumble and had an interception negated by a roughing-the-passer penalty on Sunday. The Giants converted only four times on 16 third-down attempts, settled for two field goals and punted six times on nine possessions.

Wilson, 36, is a 10-time Pro Bowl selection who won a Super Bowl with Seattle. He signed an incentive-laden one-year deal for $10.5 million with the Giants in March.

Rookie first-round pick Jaxson Dart is New York’s No. 2 quarterback. In an offense designed to take downfield shots, Dart was decisive in the preseason and averaged 7.9 yards per pass attempt with three touchdown passes. Wilson’s average Sunday was 4.5 yards.

In addition to sticking with Wilson, Daboll told reporters Monday he doesn’t envision any changes on the offensive line this week. Left tackle Andrew Thomas was inactive in Week 1 as he recovers from a 2024 season-ending foot injury, with James Hudson getting the start on Wilson’s blind side.

–Field Level Media

Russell Wilson might not make a second start for the New York Giants.

Wilson, who started his 200th career game on Sunday at Washington, completed 17 of 37 passes (45.9 percent) for 168 yards in a 21-6 loss to the Commanders and led the team in rushing with 44 yards.

Given multiple opportunities to declare Wilson would get his 201st career start next week in Dallas, Giants head coach Brian Daboll never found the words.

“We’re gonna get home, look at our game. Collectively we’ve all got to do better,” Daboll said, dancing around multiple questions about his commitment to Wilson as the Giants’ starter. “We’re just right here, after the game, I’ve got confidence in Russell. We’ve got to better around overall, players, coaches, around everybody. We’ll get focused and ready to go on Dallas. … We’re talking about after every game. I’ve got confidence in Russ. So we’re gonna go back, we’ll evaluate the tape.”

Rookie first-round pick Jaxson Dart was the No. 2 quarterback on Sunday. In an offense designed to find downfield opportunities, Dart was decisive in the preseason and averaged 7.9 yards per pass attempt with three touchdown passes. Wilson’s average Sunday was 4.5 yards.

Generating six points and 231 total yards has a way of turning coaches on the hot seat to introspection. Sunday’s loss might be viewed as an improvement over the Giants’ 40-0 defeat at the hands of the Cowboys in Week 1 of the 2023 season and the 28-6 loss to the Vikings in last year’s opener.

No matter how the defeat is scored in the public eye, losses are piling up for the Giants. It was Daboll’s 26th since the 2023 season began.

With 2:36 left in the game, Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers was captured seated on the bench by FOX television cameras with his face entirely covered by a towel. Daboll spent part of one break appearing to tamp Nabers’ emotions on the field near the sideline.

“I thought we competed our butts off today,” Wilson said. “That was a physical game. We left it all on the field, we gave it our all physically.”

Wilson recovered his own fumble, an interception was negated by a roughing-the-passer call on linebacker Bobby Wagner, and the Giants converted only four times on 16 third-down attempts.

New York played without left tackle Andrew Thomas, who is not fully recovered from a 2024 season-ending foot injury. TruMedia advanced metrics from the Week 1 game put the Commanders’ pressure rate at 42.6 percent despite rushing more than four on only 26 percent of defensive snaps.

“This game isn’t on Russell Wilson. It’s not on Russell Wilson. I want to make that clear,” Daboll said. “I have confidence in Russ, we’ve got to do a better job all the way around.”

The Giants never reached the end zone and mustered only two field goals. They punted six times on nine possessions.

–Field Level Media