Giants got Jaxson Dart comfortable with Ole Miss concepts in offense
If the Giants offense has looked familiar over the past three weeks, it’s because you’ve seen a lot of it before.
At Ole Miss.
The three-level route concepts, pass rush options, run-up and crossing routes that were prevalent in the Giants’ offense over the past three weeks were installed on purpose.
Brian Daboll couldn’t start Jaxson Dart in Week 4 without ripping out parts of Russell Wilson’s playbook to tailor the scheme to his rookie quarterback’s strengths and make him more comfortable.
That meant giving Dart ownership of what the Giants’ evolved offense would look like. And it’s clear from the film that Dart pulled from his past and blended some of Lane Kiffin’s SEC offense with Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka’s fundamental scheme.
“I’m very vocal about the things I feel comfortable with,” Dart said Wednesday. “At the same time, I’m also very open-minded to trying new things.”
Dart’s 35-yard touchdown pass to Wan’Dale Robinson in the first quarter of the Giants’ upset win over the Philadelphia Eagles is a good example of Dart bringing some of his college concepts straight to the pros.
On the play, Robinson and tight end Theo Johnson ran cross routes on the same side on the right side of the formation. Johnson continued to travel a route to the left. Robinson turned right.
By the time Dart got into the pocket and rushed to his right, he had three receivers at three different levels on the right side of the field: running back Devin Singletary in the flat, Robinson on the outside and Lil’ Jordan Humphrey on a deep post.
He hit Robinson with a completion. Robinson broke up a tackle attempt by Eagles safety Andrew Mukuba, and the Giants had six points.
Giants wide receiver Juice Wells Jr., Dart’s college teammate at Ole Miss, re-joined the practice squad this week. And he immediately noticed some familiar and refreshing concepts once he returned to practice on Wednesday.
“So I came back,” Wells said, “and we set one up for the Denver Broncos and all that, and I look back on the plays, I’m like, ‘Wait, we just ran that play at’ – I’m not going to tell you the calls – but there were certain concepts. I’m like, ‘Bro, it’s the same thing.’
“Sure, it’s different names and stuff, but now that I see Dart as the starting quarterback, you can see some of the familiar Ole Miss concepts starting to pop up,” he added.
None of this reveals what the Giants are doing on a concrete basis. Most offenses share largely the same concepts. Teams simply add their own wrinkles and give different names to similar versions of the same part.
Dart’s mobility is the X-factor that makes this all happen anyway. Whatever play Kafka calls it, much of Dart’s success is due to improvisation with his legs. Sometimes it’s by design. Very often, it is the quarterback who plays alone.
“He can make every throw on the field,” Broncos corner Pat Surtain II, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, said this week. “A very underrated part of his game is his ability to scramble and his ability to create second chance opportunities for his offense. You saw that last week against Philly. He had a few possessions where he made plays. [with] his feet. This is something we will have to take into account.
The influence of Kiffin’s Ole Miss scheme is still unmistakable in the Giants’ new offense, and it actually fits pretty perfectly with what Kafka already did well: spreading the field horizontally as well as vertically.
“The offensive we introduced [for Dart] That’s our primary offense,” Kafka said Thursday. “There are certain things you want to do to accentuate certain players in the skill group, in the O-line group. Then some things you want to keep that the quarterback is very comfortable with.
A consistent theme is using the run-pass option (RPO) play, throw action, play action, or movement to expand the defense and open up the middle or shoot downfield. Dart hit Johnson, his tight end, for a 22-yard gain on 3rd and 8 late in the third quarter on just such a play.
Running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. ran in motion across the backfield from left to right, forcing Eagles linebacker Zach Baun to strafe to the outside. Tight end Daniel Bellinger stayed underneath, out of the right slot. And Johnson pushed a sailing route through the middle of the field and to the right past Mukuba.
When Johnson caught the ball, it was there again: all three lanes overlapping on the same right side with Tracy in the flat, Johnson in the midrange and Humphrey deep. And with two tight ends starting on the same side, Tracy was a threat for an outside screen pass that the Eagles’ Baun had to honor.
Wells described Ole Miss’ offense this way: “Get your players open, let them run with the ball. Have your players catch and run, get them in space.”
“Coach Kiffin’s offense,” Wells said, “he’s taking advantage of the weaker DB [defensive back] or the database he feels is not the primary database, trying to go after him, and [using] different concepts for guys to get open and guys on the edges, whether it’s a fast guy on a sweep, stuff like that. And he’s going to throw the ball deep.
Wells’ re-signing is further evidence of Dart’s influence on the offense and scheme. The quarterback all but confirmed he made the suggestion to bring Wells back, and Daboll and Schoen listened. As they should have. If they adopt the concepts of the Ole Miss offense, they might as well bring back a receiver who knows that playbook better than anyone.
“First of all, it’s just cool to be in an organization where everyone can cooperate and communicate with each other,” Dart said. “It’s something that I’m really grateful for, just to be here. So me and [Daboll] having conversations all day, every day, about how he sees things, how I see things. There’s definitely a lot of communication.
Wells, who was released by the Giants on cutdown day in late August, spent the last month training in Tampa, Fla., with strength coach Yo Murphy. He wasn’t sure if Dart was the main reason for his return, but he stayed in touch with Dart and Cam Skattebo while cheering for the Giants from afar.
“I honestly don’t know,” Wells said. “But I would text him after a good game like, ‘Let’s go, bro. Good job.” Texting Skatt, “Let’s go.” I was so hyped. While I was gone, the Giants were my favorite team. I was watching those boys like a hawk, watching every play trying to figure out what plays they were making because I was just with them. Honestly, I didn’t want to be anywhere else. I was always locked in.
Wells told the Daily News during the preseason that Dart was poised to take the NFL by storm, so he’s not at all surprised to see the QB’s success.
“I knew he was going to take off and he was going to be ready,” Wells said. “What gave it that spark was that push to open [against the Chargers]he drove it there and scored with all that swagger. I’m like, “That’s the Dart I know.” “The way he’s taking over the team and being a leader, the future is so bright for him. I can’t wait.
Forget the future. The present has been brilliant. Dart and the Giants scored a touchdown on the first offensive drive of his three starts, and they are on a two-game streak scoring back-to-back touchdowns on their first two possessions.
So the question now is: what can stop the Giants’ new offensive scheme with this heavy Ole Miss influence?
The Denver Broncos, who lead the NFL with 30 sacks, might have the answer: pressure.
Blitzes and better passes from Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph could fill the gaps Dart likes to escape through with his scrambles. And the Giants’ use of misdirection in play design takes up time that Dart might not have had in this game.
Just look like Jets quarterback Justin Fields’ meager 31 rushing yards on seven carries in last week’s loss to Denver in London.
“One of the things the Broncos do really well with their pass rush is they’re disciplined in their running lanes,” former NFL wide receiver Bennie Fowler said on the Talkin’ Ball with Pat Leonard podcast. “They don’t create a lot of driving lanes that quarterbacks can step in and take off.
“Justin Fields has always been able to keep the game alive with the way he handles himself,” Fowler continued. “But because of the Broncos and their rushing attack and their discipline in those rush lanes, he wasn’t able to extend plays and run for first downs. And I think you’ll see something similar this week with Vance confusing Jaxson with different looks, forcing him to hold the ball or stay in that pocket.”
Fowler, a member of the Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 team who will be honored at Denver’s alumni game Sunday, said Joseph might not even send many extra defenders to generate pressure.
“It might not be a blitz series,” Fowler said. “It could just be, ‘Hey, we’re going to stand right here in front of you, and we’re going to force you to read this defense and throw the ball in coverage.’ And the Broncos had very good coverage this year. »
Dart, Daboll and Kafka will inevitably attempt to meet this defensive scheme with a strong running game led by Skattebo and attacking the boundary with tunnels and bubble screens in the passing game.
Because that’s what Dart would have done in college. This is where he is comfortable. And all he wants is what the Giants do.
“I think I just try to play efficiently, play comfortably and try to be as efficient as possible on offense,” Dart said.
Within the Giants offense. Dart’s offense.
THREE MORE GIANTS JOIN INJURY REPORT
Wide receiver Darius Slayton (hamstring) and center John Michael-Schmitz (concussion) continued to miss practice Thursday. Both will likely miss Sunday’s game in Denver. Linebackers Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (hamstring) and Swayze Bozeman (ankle) remain out. Defensive lineman Chauncey Golston (neck) was downgraded from limited to out of practice.
Defensive lineman DJ Davidson (knee) also did not practice Thursday after participating Wednesday. And corner Paulson Adebo (shoulder) and safety Dane Belton (neck) joined the injury report as limited alongside right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor (shoulder/back), wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (ankle) and defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris (knee).
Corner Deonte Banks (personal reasons) was back in practice and fully participated. It was the same for outside linebacker Victor Dimukeje (pec), who returns from the physically disabled list.
