From the outset on Thursday, it seemed something special could be in store for the Giants.
Answering the Eagles taking a 3-0 lead on the game’s first possession, Dart scrambled for a 20-yard score. Dart hit Wan’Dale Robinson for a 35-yard TD on the ensuing NYG drive, but perhaps most impressive was that after the Eagles rallied to take a 17-13 lead, the Giants didn’t whittle away. That resolve was even more stately considering New York was rebounding from a 26-14 loss to the New Orleans Saints, one in which Dart and Skattebo were responsible for four of the team’s five turnovers.
Throughout the night, Dart and Skattebo were emblematic of an effort that showcased tenacity, toughness and a whole lot of exuberance.
Dart was briefly sidelined to be evaluated for a concussion. What followed was pure theatre.
As the QB jogged into the blue medical tent, a full house followed, with Daboll peeking in to get an update and running mate Skattebo following. Daboll was also seen giving an earful to the team doctor. Meanwhile, Week 1-starter-turned backup Russell Wilson entered the game to a chorus of boos for a pair of snaps before a punt. When Dart returned for the following drive, the 22-year-old was met with a hero’s ovation from the crowd.
“If you’ve ever been on an NFL sideline, there’s a lot of emotions, and I certainly am an emotional guy. I apologized directly to our team physician,” Daboll said. “I just wanted his ass out there if he was OK, but I wanted to process, like, we were getting ready to go for it on a potential fourth down. I would’ve burned a timeout if he could’ve came out there, so I was asking how long is it gonna take.”
Skattebo reeled off the game’s final three scores: a 4-yarder in the second quarter that stood as the game-winner and a pair of 1-yard rumbles, one in the third and another in the fourth.
“I felt the confidence no matter what,” Skattebo said. “Going up by three, going down by four, I felt that through these guys. It’s been awesome. Like I said, I’m excited to see what these guys do in the future.”
Backflipping and bulldozing, Skattebo has quickly become a New York favorite that no doubt gained more admirers on Thursday. It’s much the same for Dart, who balances the poise of a veteran with the free spirt, just-eye-black-under-one-eye nature of a first-year phenom in the making.
Their exuberance isn’t all greatness, however. Dart launched himself like a head-first missile into a defender on one scramble and could draw a fine for high-fiving a referee, who initially signaled a Skattebo run (that was overturned to a TD) was short of the end zone. Skattebo, whose runs are instant Giants highlights serving as reminders of the likes of Mark Bavaro, Ottis Anderson and Jeremy Shockey, drew a flag late in the game for taunting.
On this night, though, just six games into their first NFL seasons, Dart and Skattebo played starring roles in an off-Broadway production that is drawing rave reviews.
Just how long it will run remains to be seen, but for now, they’re the talk of the town.
“I understand that the most important thing for everybody is winning,” Dart said. “As competitors, that’s how we feel, too. I feel like this city is starving for that and we are starving for that. We hate losing. It’s the worst feeling in the world. We just try to do our best, regardless of what the outside noise is, to keep everything internal between us. I have all the confidence in the world in every single player on this team.”
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