The New York Giants are beginning to find their rhythm as the preseason winds down, and Saturday night at MetLife Stadium was a clear step forward. Behind an early touchdown run from Devin Singletary and a third-quarter surge led by rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, the Giants built a 24-6 lead over the New York Jets heading into the fourth quarter.
Singletary opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 1-yard plunge set up by Russell Wilson’s trademark deep ball, an 80-yard connection to rookie Beaux Collins. The Jets answered with a pair of Nick Folk field goals — from 38 and 31 yards — to trim the deficit to 7-6 at halftime.
That’s when Dart took over. The rookie quarterback, who is pushing to secure the Giants’ No. 2 job, orchestrated a nine-play, 71-yard drive capped by a 20-yard strike to tight end Greg Dulcich. On the next series, Dart showed his mobility with a 1-yard rushing score to push the lead to 21-6. He finished the night 14-of-16 for 137 yards, a touchdown pass, and a rushing touchdown, completing 13 straight passes at one point.
Defensively, cornerback Cor’Dale Flott stood out with a key pass breakup against Garrett Wilson, while the front seven kept the Jets out of the end zone until the fourth quarter. Also, Edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux generated pressure throughout the night and came up with multiple impactful plays against the Jets’ offensive line.
The Giants tacked on another three points late in the third quarter after Jameis Winston guided a steady drive that ended with Jude McAtamney’s 35-yard field goal, extending the lead to 24-6.
The Jets finally broke through in the fourth quarter, marching 89 yards on a 12-play drive capped by Brady Cook’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Quentin Skinner with 8:50 remaining. The two-point try failed, leaving New York trailing 24-12.
Winston responded on the following drive, powering in from a yard out to finish a nine-play, 65-yard march and stretch the Giants’ advantage to 31-12 with just under six minutes to go.
What’s next?
With final roster cuts due Aug. 26, the Giants have one more preseason game to evaluate players on the bubble. But Saturday’s showing especially from Dart gave the team plenty of reason to feel optimistic with the regular season opener in Washington now less than three weeks away.
The Giants will finish their preseason by hosting the New England Patriots on Thursday, Aug. 21 at MetLife Stadium. Game time is 8 p.m. ET.
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