Brian Daboll and Jaxson Dart scraped the Giants (1-3) off the mat with last week’s upset of the Los Angeles Chargers.
Now they have to back it up by beating the winless Saints (0-4) on Sunday in New Orleans.
“We‘ve got to be able to have the competitive mindset to expect to win,” Dart said entering his second NFL start.
A victory in Week 5 is critical for several reasons. For one, the Giants were not even able to fully enjoy their first win of the season because it came at a heavy price:
Top receiver Malik Nabers tore the ACL in his right knee and is done for the season.
That makes Sunday’s game in New Orleans a referendum on how exactly this Giants offense will be able to function the rest of the year without him.
It’s a legitimate question, given Nabers’ 170 targets as a rookie in 2024 and how much his presence forces opposing defenses to commit fewer defenders to stopping the run.
That puts more responsibility on starters Darius Slayton and Wan’Dale Robinson and backups Jalin Hyatt and Beaux Collins to become bigger factors in the passing game.
“Malik’s a unique guy, not many guys like him in the league,” Daboll said. “You go out there, and anytime it’s one on one, you just throw him the ball. Everybody’s going to have to do their part: All the skill players, and the quarterback mak[ing] the right decision.”
A win over the Saints and rookie head coach Kellen Moore also is imperative because of what lurks ahead for New York.
The Giants’ next three games will be a quick Thursday night turnaround at home against the division rival Philadelphia Eagles, a road trip to the Denver Broncos and then a South Philly rematch with Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and the reigning Super Bowl champs.
So they’re not just aiming for their first back-to-back wins since 2023. They’re looking to bank a second win in a favorable matchup before their relentless schedule ramps back up toward the top of the NFL’s power rankings.
There will be nothing easy about winning in The Big Easy on Sunday, though, despite the Saints’ disappointing start to the season.
New Orleans has a veteran defense led by linebacker Demario Davis and pass rusher Cam Jordan, and the Saints boast a strong running game paced by slippery running back Alvin Kamara.
Left tackle Andrew Thomas said even after beating the Chargers in Dart’s debut, the offense sees some clear areas it must improve.
“We’ve got to score more in the red zone,” Thomas said. “We’ve got to do a little bit better in the run game and try to protect Jaxson better.”
That will become a more difficult challenge without Nabers. But the Giants are planning to band together to get it done — primarily because they have no choice.
