John Harbaugh took the New York Giants job, in part because he sees Jaxson Dart as a quality quarterback. In Harbaugh’s mind, Dart’s multi-threat ability reminds him of the quarterback he managed in Baltimore for the past eight seasons, Lamar Jackson.
“Jaxson is capable of doing a lot of things,” Harbaugh said on The Domonique Foxworth Show. “Like he can live in a lot of different worlds, football-wise. He can live in a power run game, obviously, and a power run game protects the quarterback because you can hand the ball off and have people defend it and keep them honest. Then it opens up your passing game. RPOs, we can run the quarterback with Jaxson Dart, a lot of the stuff we’re turning into Baltimore with Lamar, it’s passes that are almost run so now if they want to defend the pass, the quick pass, you can just deliver the ball to a softer front line and give your guards and center backs less chance to tackle the ball there. get out of the double team quicker and you can block people longer.
“So, those first and second downs combine to create problems for the defense, and I just feel like it all starts with the quarterback. Jaxson is a guy that gives you a chance to live in all these different worlds. So if he can do it, we’re going to do it, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Dart’s dual-threat ability made the Giants’ offense exciting to watch for his 12 starts last season. However, it also put him at risk for big hits. Dart played through some huge hurdles, including a sprained left ankle in October. Concussion concerns were the biggest issues, as he was examined multiple times and missed two games with a head injury.
The belief is that Dart needs to do a better job of defending against QB runs, knowing when to give up a play and avoid a hit that could send him to the sideline. Harbaugh dealt with a similar situation early in Jackson’s career. He doesn’t sound concerned about the Dart’s ability to adapt.
“I mean, he’s aware of it,” Harbaugh said of the importance of Dart staying healthy. “You got a nice line. I remember hearing the same thing about Lamar, and the same thing was said about Lamar every year but especially after the first season. “The way he plays is unsustainable. It will never last. You have to protect him. He can’t run as much.” You say something like that to Lamar and he just looks at you like you have three heads. It’s like, ‘No, I’m going to play ball, I’m going to play ball.’ I just knew, I trusted that he was going to protect himself because he wants to be out there and he wants to play and it’s not the type of sport where you [can] wrap yourself in bubble wrap. You’re going to play ball and you’re going to get tackled and it can happen out there. But I think it’s important to play the game in a way that respects that there are other guys out there that can hurt you when you have the ball in your hands, especially for the quarterback. I trust Jaxson Dart understands that.”
An improved offensive line and grinding game should take some pressure off Dart, but there will be times when he needs to use his legs to make plays. The key will be knowing when the play is over and getting down before he gets blown, as he was at times as a rookie. Understanding the speed and ferocity with which NFL defenders guard is part of the evolution from Year 1 to Year 2. That goes for the passing game and, for some QBs, the spin drills as well.