Giants vs Chargers: Week 4 Preview

The Jaxson Dart era officially begins. Giants fans are pumped, but can the rookie bring this team back to relevance in a tough matchup against a stingy Chargers team?

After a Sunday night letdown against the Chiefs, a lot of questions were thrown around about whether Russell Wilson would still be the Giants starting quarterback come Week 4. By Tuesday, those questions had an answer in the form of Jaxson Dart.

Brian Daboll, Joe Schoen, and the entire coaching staff are fighting for their jobs right now, so I'm not surprised that they pulled the trigger on Dart this quickly. They are in win now mode and are trying to prove to John Mara and ownership that they are capable of leading this team for another year in 2026. However, the Chargers are going to be a tough test and are scorching hot coming into this one, so an 0-4 start is not out of the realm of possibility.

Let's get to it, with three things to watch for as the Giants square off against the Los Angeles Chargers.

The new QB1

I alluded to this in my introduction above, but Jaxson Dart will be the Giants starting quarterback come kickoff against the Chargers. I'm nervously excited, along with all other Giants fans, and it will be interesting to see how he shows up in a big moment.

After two terrible showings from Russell Wilson in Weeks 1 and 3, along with a costly interception sandwiched in the middle that led to the Giants loss against Dallas in Week 2, Brian Daboll pulled the plug earlier than most probably expected. Outside of that 450 passing yard performance in Week 2, it was obvious that Wilson's decision-making and vision were obvious flaws that could lead to costly performances in the future. When you have a coach fighting for his job and looking to prove something, change is always waiting in the crosshairs. So, Daboll made the decision that Wilson was unfit to lead the offense and will give Dart the reigns moving forward.

I have preached about how successful play-calling is as much of a factor as the starting quarterback, and that should still ring true. Daboll and Mike Kafka need to understand how to set Dart up for success not only with his arm but with his legs. He is still a rookie and will struggle at moments, so preparation and an emphasis on learning the offense as he goes should still be at the forefront of his growth. We all know Dart has confidence, but will the flaws of the coaching staff hurt him? I'm not sure just yet, but that will be determined by his play and if the Giants can pull themselves out of an 0-3 hole.

The secondary against Chargers WRs

Paulson Adebo played way off the ball on every reception that was secured by a Chiefs wide receiver in Week 2. Why? He is a press man corner by nature and has the long arms to be able to jam receivers at the line and throw off their rhythm. The Chiefs clearly understood how to beat him in Week 3, so why didn't Shane Bowen have him adjust? These are the questions that seem to go unanswered week after week. A team like the Chargers with plenty of playmakers and a star quarterback will dissect that in no time.

What I'm saying is there needs to be more aggression from the secondary. It can't just be Dru Phillips making plays all game, because that leads to offenses attacking him more and unfortunately, due to his size, leading to more penalties than the Giants would like. Coaching is a big part of this. The Giants upgraded their secondary in the offseason with the additions of Adebo and Jevon Holland, but they still rank 27th in passing yards allowed. They are trending toward the bottom of the league in defense yet again.

The Chiefs didn't have a ton of noteworthy playmakers running routes last Sunday, but they still found ways to succeed. The Chargers have Keenan Allen, Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, hell even Oronde Gadsen (go Cuse) out there giving opposing defenses fits. Through three weeks, they are averaging 270 passing yards per game and did that against the Chiefs and Broncos, who are noteworthy for their defensive prowess.

The Giants secondary has their work cut out for them, and I wouldn't be surprised if the same thing continues to happen over and over again when they face good quarterback play. That is the state of the Giants defense up to this point, and if Shane Bowen wants to save his job, he needs to coach his secondary with a sense of urgency. I'd like to see them press more and find ways to stay sticky in coverage so the pass rush can do their job. The pass rush has done their job, racking up eight sacks over three weeks; the secondary needs to show that they can do their job and either force turnovers or errant Justin Herbert throws.

The run defense

For what it's worth, the run defense has slowly improved in yardage allowed week over week. Here is how they stacked up against their first three opponents:

• 220 yards allowed to the Commanders

• 135 yards to the Cowboys

• 105 yards to the Chiefs

Although the numbers combined still have them as one of the worst rushing defenses through three weeks, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel. This is especially encouraging with a depleted linebacking corps that is missing Micah McFadden, but one that will get Darius Muasau back this week after recovering from that concussion he suffered in Dallas.

The Chargers lost Najee Harris for the season last week, but rookie Omarion Hampton is a firecracker that looked to finally get his feet underneath him in Week 3. He generated 70 yards on 19 attempts and scored his first NFL touchdown against the Broncos. Jim Harbaugh knows what he has in Hampton as an excellent complement to their passing game.

This is an opportunity for Dexter Lawrence and the linebacking corps to get right for the first time this season. Lawrence hasn't been the 'Sexy Dexy' we know and love through the first three weeks, but we know how capable he is of taking over a game. As a reminder, he injured his elbow in late November last year, and getting back into football shape takes time. Dex's breakout game could finally come in week 4. While slow to come on, it looks as if Giants rookie third round pick Darius Alexander is getting more comfortable week after week. Per one of the many awesome Giants die-hards on X, Big Blue Goonie, they shared a few of Alexander's snaps from last Sunday night and they were very encouraging.

Alexander is getting more opportunities in the middle of that defensive line each week. His snap counts have steadily increased, and with Rakeem Nunez-Roches likely sidelined with an injury again, will be getting plenty of reps this week. Darius Alexander snaps by week:

• Week 1 - 0

• Week 2 - 15

• Week 3 - 22

Bobby Okereke is at the top of the NFL leaderboard in tackles through three weeks, and he will certainly be leaned on again as a playmaker in this one given his strong ability to fill gaps and wrap up ball carriers. Okereke is an undeniable leader of this defense and wears the green dot on his helmet for a reason. His play is crucial to this defense succeeding against the run, and ultimately will be a key factor in trying to stall the Chargers run game in this one.

Overall, the run defense is showing a glimmer of hope, and a better showing in Week 4 could lead to further success down the line.

Final Thoughts

Like I say every week, the Giants have another formidable opponent in front of them. They are underdogs for a reason, as they have not yet shown they could compete with a team the likes of the Los Angeles Chargers. However, Jaxson Dart could flip things upside down if he goes out there and plays well in his first NFL game. There might be a light at the end of the tunnel for Brian Daboll if things go well with Dart.

Dart's play, along with a strong defensive showing, should be enough to beat any team in this league. Unfortunately for the Giants, they don't always execute all that well, so only time will tell if there is any chance of success against the Chargers.

I'm excited to finally get to see Dart sling the rock around the field. A quarterback change four games into the season is always an eyebrow raising move, given it is not as common of an occurrence in the NFL. We will see how the Giants show up, but my hope is that they rally around Dart and Daboll and find ways to win.

Let's go Giants, and here we go into the Jaxson Dart era!