History Doubts Giants Will Beat Chargers In Jaxson Dart S First Start

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 17, 2025, 3:09 AM

history doubts giants will beat chargers in jaxson dart s first start

When the call came Tuesday, Jaxson Dart FaceTimed his mom. His dad was already in town, but the Dart boys had news: Jaxson would be starting for the New York Giants — this weekend and, until further notice, for the remainder of his rookie... That the 25th overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft is getting an opportunity to start this season isn’t a surprise to anyone following the Giants. But Dart’s chance to start indefinitely after just three weeks of 2025 is far less expected. Only 38 days prior, Giants head coach Brian Daboll was throwing Dart into a preseason game midseries in a move so random that Dart wasn’t sure if this was another Daboll joke. Preseason success and six regular-season snaps, including one dropback opportunity, followed.

But still, in the Giants’ 0-3 start, Dart did not throw the football. [Get more Giants news: New York team feed] The Los Angeles Chargers came into Sunday’s game against the New York Giants as 6-point road favorites. They were set to go up against rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart in his first NFL start, and had a top-10 pass defense though the first three weeks of the season. But the matchup between a 3-0 and 0-3 team didn’t go as planned for Jim Harbaugh and company, as Dart was able to lead his team to a huge victory in his pro debut. The young pass thrower started off with a bang.

After the Giants forced a 3-and-out to open the game, Dart led the Giants on a 9-play 89 yard drive that he capped off with a 15 yard touchdown run to give his team... He would play well enough for the rest of the game to allow New York to keep the lead throughout, and threw his first NFL touchdown in the third quarter on a flip pass... In Jaxson Dart's first start, the Giants beat the Chargers for the first time since 1998 — and notch their first win of the season. pic.twitter.com/d2IMCqg34L — Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) September 28, 2025 Rookie Jaxson Dart threw and ran for a touchdown in his first NFL start while the Giants intercepted Justin Herbert twice in a 21-18 victory over the previously undefeated Chargers.

The Giants picked up their first win of the season while the Chargers fell to 3-1. It didn't come without a cost, though. Wide receiver Malik Nabers left midway through the second quarter with a knee injury and did not return. The Giants go back on the road to face the New Orleans Saints, who are 0-4 following a 31-19 loss to the Bills on Sunday. The NFC foes will meet for the third consecutive season and fourth time in five years. View photos from the Week 4 matchup between the Giants and Chargers.

QB Jaxson Dart (6) , WR Malik Nabers (1) ILB Darius Muasau (53), OLB Abdul Carter (51) Giants rookie pass rusher Abdul Carter stood in the locker room, donning mono rectangle sunglasses, following Big Blue's 21-18 upset victory over the previously unbeaten Los Angeles Chargers and uttered the phrase on the... The youthful Giants showed why that future could finally be bright enough to warrant Carter's indoor shades. Making his first start, rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart displayed heady playmaking, using his arm and legs to move the chains against a good Chargers defense, and avoided the backbreaking mistakes that have plagued the... "It was just special to get the first one.

This is just the start," Dart said, via the team’s official website. Dart's career as a starter got off to a smashing beginning. He led Big Blue on an 89-yard net yard drive in nine plays, capped off by a 15-yard rushing score. He became the first QB since Patrick Mahomes to lead his team to an 80-plus yard TD drive on the first possession of his first career start. The Giants would never relinquish the lead. It's Jaxson Dart's time in New York, now.

The rookie quarterback showed up to play in his first NFL start against the Chargers on Sunday, putting together a completely clean game as he helped New York notch its first win of the... Dart went 13-of-20 for 111 yards and one passing touchdown while also adding 54 yards on the ground and one rushing touchdown in the 21-18 home victory. Dart faced his fair share of obstacles after his top receiver, Malik Nabers, suffered a painful knee injury and got carted off the field in the second quarter. In the second half, the Ole Miss product remained cool and composed in the pocket and held onto the lead to clinch a thrilling upset over the previously undefeated Chargers. In doing so, Dart made a bit of special NFL history, becoming the first rookie quarterback to beat a team 3-0 or better in his first career start since Giants QB Phil Simms defeated... Additionally, prior to Dart's big win, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh had only lost to a rookie quarterback twice in his NFL career: Derek Carr and Russell Wilson.

Dart now joins that list having delivered a humbling blow to the AFC West power. By Charlotte Carroll, Dan Duggan and Daniel Popper The New York Giants earned their first win of the season, beating the Los Angeles Chargers 21-18 on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J., in rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart’s first career start. Dart completed 13 of 20 passes for 111 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions as the Giants (1-3) won despite losing star receiver Malik Nabers in the second quarter to what is believed to... It was the first loss of the season for the Chargers (3-1), as quarterback Justin Herbert was held to 23-of-41 passing for 203 yards. Herbert was picked off twice and threw one touchdown.

He was also sacked twice and harassed throughout the game. Like the Giants, the Chargers also endured a potentially impactful injury, losing starting left tackle Joe Alt to an ankle injury in the first quarter. Heading into Week 4 of the NFL season, the New York Giants were 0-3 while their opponent, the Los Angeles Chargers, were 3-0. Sunday’s matchup not only pitted the two teams against each other but also marked the debut start for Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. The big lights seemingly didn’t bother the Ole Miss product, as he and the Giants beat the Chargers, 21-18, and New York’s social media team wasted no time trolling those who had doubted them. In the Giants’ 21-18 win over the Chargers, Dart left the game briefly to be assessed for a concussion but was allowed to return.

Unfortunately for them, however, star wide receiver Malik Nabers went down with what NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported as a torn ACL. Dart completed 13 of 20 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown and ran 10 times for 54 yards and another score. His fellow rookie, running back Cam Skattebo, ran 25 times for 79 yards and caught two passes for 11 yards. Every first NFL start comes with its own set of circumstances. Although it’s now the norm for first-round quarterbacks to play as rookies, not all of them spend the summer atop their team’s depth chart or begin the season as the starter. That’s important to keep in mind as the Giants‘ Jaxson Dart makes his first career start on Sunday afternoon against the Chargers at MetLife Stadium.

Dart, the No. 25 overall pick in April’s draft, took some first-team reps during training camp and played multiple snaps with the starters in the preseason. But he largely served as the Giants’ second-string quarterback behind Russell Wilson, whom he now replaces. This week marks Dart’s first set of practices operating as the Giants’ starter. The New York Giants (1-3) picked up an upset victory over the Los Angeles Chargers (3-1) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday afternoon -- the first of their season and... Unfortunately for the Giants, the game was overshadowed by a devastating injury to superstar wide receiver Malik Nabers, who is feared to have suffered a season-ending torn ACL in the second quarter.

He was carted off and is scheduled for an MRI on Monday. Dart's play was a bit mixed. He showed flashes at times, but also appeared to lack trust in certain throws, ultimately leaving yards, first downs, and points on the board. But there was a lot to live and a lot to build on, albeit without Nabers. In the end, it was the defense -- namely, linebacker Brian Burns -- who got things done and slowed down the high-powered Chargers offense, led by quarterback Justin Herbert. Burns' late fourth-quarter sack ultimately sealed the game for Big Blue.

With the Chargers facing a third-and-9 with roughly 3:00 remaining in the game, linebacker Brian Burns came up with the clutch play: A 16-yard sack of Justin Herbert.

History Doubts Giants Will Beat Chargers In Jaxson Dart S First Start

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QB Jaxson Dart (6) , WR Malik Nabers (1) ILB