The social media frenzy started Wednesday when a reporter in Denver asked Broncos outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper about Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart.
“He’s a young guy. He’s feelin’ himself a little bit,” Cooper said. “He’s out there running around. He’s got the chain on. He’s dancing. I feel like everybody needs something.”
But then came the real kicker.
“We’ve went against QBs who have ran around in the pocket and have tried to do stuff with their legs, so, ain’t nothing we haven’t seen,” Cooper added.
Shots fired!
Opponents are trash-talking the Giants again as they enter a tough road matchup with the Broncos on Sunday, and that’s a good thing.
The Giants have largely been an afterthought for the past decade. The team that other teams view as the Homecoming game on their schedule. The team that, frankly, nobody is worried about.
That label has suddenly shifted thanks to Dart injecting a jolt of energy into this franchise by winning two of his first three NFL starts against playoff-caliber teams in the Chargers and the Eagles.
“I think the vibe is just we’re trying to set a standard in the locker room, we’re trying to play tough, we’re trying to win at all costs,” Dart said this week. “The guys are coming to work with the right mindset.”
It’s been such a 180 since the Giants started 0-3 with Russell Wilson at quarterback that fans have every right to be excited. If the team had simply turned the ball over four times against the Saints two weeks ago instead of five, as Dart noted, it would probably be 3-0 with the rookie.
Alas, that’s the NFL and there are going to be some ups and downs with young players. But there’s little doubt that the Giants have something cooking here with Dart and rookie running back Cam Skattebo barreling through defenders in a way that screams: These aren’t your same old Giants.
“I just think there’s, at times, some negativity that’s surrounding here,” Dart said after the win over the Eagles last week. “For us, some of the new guys that are coming here, we just got here, so we don’t feel like we were involved in the past. We’ve got a lot of winners on this team, guys who come out every single day, work their (butt) off to put on a good showing on Sundays.”
Facing an elite defense — and in Denver’s high altitude — represents the toughest test yet for Dart and the Giants’ offense.
The Broncos entered the week with 30 sacks — 10 more than any other NFL team — through six games, including nine against the Jets. They held the Jets to 82 total yards and -10 net passing yards (the least by an NFL team since 1998) in London, and they have limited four of their first six opponents to 17 points or fewer.
It’s imperative for Dart to get rid of the ball quickly in this game. While he has excelled at “making something out of nothing” with pocket manipulation, as right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor stated after the Eagles game, the Broncos excel at neutralizing that ability. Edge rushers Nik Bonitto and Zach Allen are tied for the NFL lead with 16 QB hits.
Collectively, Denver sports the league’s top third-down defense (27.16 percent conversion rate) and red-zone defense (28.57 percent touchdown rate).
“Bonitto is an unbelievable pass rusher,” Giants head coach Brian Daboll said. “You can’t have a plan for all of them. They all can rush. I think 12 guys have at least a sack on their defense. They’ve got the reigning Defensive Player of the Year (Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II), an Alabama guy. They’re just really good. They play good coverage, complemented with the front. They disguise well. They’re as good as it gets right now.”
That’s effusive praise coming from a coach who often compliments opposing players, but usually not to this extent.
So, make no mistake: This going to be a tall task for the Giants’ average offensive line, and it could be the week where the Giants get exposed a bit for being strained at wide receiver with injuries to Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton.
But the fact that you don’t quite know what to expect from the Giants now, and that they’re part of friendly chirping in the NFL again, is quite refreshing.
Giants outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux posted on X a GIF of Denzel Washington from the movie “Training Day” saying, “OK…alright,” presumably in response to Cooper.
Buckle up for Sunday.
“What matters is how you perform during the week and how you play on Sunday,” Daboll said when asked about the ongoing trash talk. “We’re in a competitive industry, an emotional industry. But the most important thing is doing your job leading up to Sunday, and then ultimately going out there and playing well.”
Greg Johnson covers the New York Giants and NFL for MediaNews Group. Reach him at gjohnson@trentonian.com.
Giants Gameday
The Game: Giants (2-4) at Broncos (4-2), Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colo., Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
The Line: Denver by 7
History: The all-time series is tied, 7-7, with the Broncos winning the most recent game in the Meadowlands in 2021.
Key Matchups:
Giants LT Andrew Thomas vs. Broncos OLB Nik Bonitto: Thomas has completely neutralized opponents on the left side since returning from an injury in Week 3. Bonitto leads the NFL with eight tackles, so this will be a marquee matchup and another good test for Thomas.
Giants WR Lil’Humphrey Jordan vs. Broncos CB Pat Surtain II: The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year is as good of a corner as the Giants will face all season. This is going to be a tough game for the Giants’ receivers to get open in general. Jordan came off the practice squad last week and had 55 yards against the Eagles including a 34-yard catch.
Giants DT Dexter Lawrence vs. Broncos LG Alex Palczewski: The Broncos have a stellar offensive line but are down to their third-string left guard because of injuries. That reportedly could be Palczewski, a backup tackle who has been lining up as a blocking tight end. No matter who it is, this is a matchup where the Giants need their All-Pro nose tackle to pounce. Lawrence has had a slow start in the passing game with only two QB hits in six games.
Giants run defense vs. Broncos RB J.K. Dobbins: Dobbins ranks 11th among NFL running backs with 4.9 yards per carry. The Giants are the worst fourth-worst in that department, allowing 5.1 yards per carry, but they have turned it around in the last two games. The Saints averaged just 2.9 yards per carry and the Eagles had 3.7.
Injury Report:
Giants: OUT: C John Michael Schmitz (concussion), LB Swayze Bozeman (ankle), LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (hamstring); DOUBTFUL: WR Darius Slayton (hamstring), DL Chauncey Golston (neck); QUESTIONABLE: LB Abdul Carter (hamstring), OLB Victor Dimukeje (pec).
Broncos: OUT: OLB Jonah Elliss (shoulder); QUESTIONABLE: LB Dre Greenlaw (quad).
Giant Facts: The Giants have scored touchdowns on each of their first two drives in two straight games for the first time in 45 years, per ESPN. … Jaxson Dart is the third QB in the Super Bowl era to rush for 50+ yards in each of his first three career starts, joining Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts. … Brian Burns’ nine tackles-for-loss are tied for the second-most with the Rams’ Byron Young, behind only the Raiders’ Maxx Crosby.
The Prediction: Broncos 20, Giants 17
