Jaxson Dart is great because of his play style, but what is he once refined for the NFL long game? Also, the Jets appear headed for another veteran QB.
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Jaxson Dart won’t be long for the league unless his play style adapts to prevent big hits, but what type of player does that make him? Then we have the Jets, who appear headed toward another veteran QB. This is our New York football hour for NFL week 14 and both teams are looking to the future, no matter how grey or gloomy it may be.
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We are faced with the truth that none of us want to accept. The only way through is through, so let’s feel everything and bite the proverbial bullets. Literally everyone is asking, outsiders are laughing or averting their eyes, but someone must step up to the podium and fire back. Tough questions require hard answers.
New York Jets and Giants: NFL Week 14
1. What is Jaxson Dart without his reckless athleticism?
Todd Salem: A few weeks ago, when Jaxson Dart went out with his latest concussion, I surmised that he may only succeed as an NFL quarterback by playing with the reckless abandon we had seen to that point. If you took away Dart’s style of play, what’s left would not be good enough to consistently win at the position.
Coming back off that concussion in Week 13, everyone speculated that we would see a more conservative, safe approach to the offense. That is sort of what we got. Dart backpedaled in the pocket a number of times, perhaps instead of stepping up and running. However, he also scrambled and took some hits, including a huge one on the sideline in the first half. The most noticeable change was in the play calling – removing the designed QB runs – not in the way Dart himself played. And in postgame press afterward, Dart indicated he has no plans in changing the way he plays football.
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So where does that leave us? Dart is still a young rookie. He should continue to learn when to save his body. Stepping out of bounds on the sideline is not the same as removing his aggressiveness, although I can understand the young man’s sentiment. In fact, the simple change from the coaches to not blatantly put him in harm’s way with the play calling is a huge improvement.
The Giants have to find some balance. I think it’s obvious that the most talented version of Dart has him running and scrambling rather often. However, to survive, he needs to give some of that away in order to gain longevity. A blowout loss to New England is not an indication of anything in terms of Dart’s play style failing. The defense got diced more than anything. But New York averaged just 5.8 yards per attempt through the air as Dart faded in the pocket, tried to get the ball out quickly, avoided taking too many sacks, and put together an underwhelming offensive showing. Both things can be true.
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Dan Salem: There has yet to be a “running” quarterback who has succeeded beyond one or two seasons and also did not throw the ball extremely well. Josh Allen is a tremendous passer who is also aggressive and can run. Lamar Jackson, this season aside, has been a great passer who is also a tremendous runner. Both of these top level players use their running ability to make something of broken plays. They are not running backs.
We rarely see many designed runs for quarterbacks after their rookie year. It’s a great segue from college to the pros, giving them a sense of familiarity while also supporting one of their stronger skill sets. Running can cover rookie growing pains, or an inability to pass well. But it only covers things for so long before defenses get smart or the QB gets injured. Dart is doing everything right in his rookie year and now his coaches are applying the appropriate restrictions to the playbook that are required of franchise quarterbacks.
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The best part of all of this is that New York’s coaches are not pushing Dart to the limit for cheap wins or closer games. They are coaching him for the longterm, even though they themselves will likely be fired after this season. Putting your player and team’s longterm success ahead of your own proves the Giants are doing something right. But Dart needs a true QB coach who can train him into a franchise player. If not, he’ll end up like Tyrod Taylor. This might be fine for Dart’s career, but not for New York’s QB situation.
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2. Are the New York Jets playing themselves into another veteran QB in 2026?
Todd Salem: The Jets defense showed up and held its own for yet another week. Special teams gave the offense two short fields and was the main reason New York got its third win of the season. This is a very promising sign for the future of the Aaron Glenn-led roster, but it is also putting a real damper on the Jets’ draft outlook for 2026.
We know there is a tentative balance each season for the worst teams between playing their best and playing for draft position. Players and coaches are always concerned about the former; the front office looks toward the latter.
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Of course, if it turns out some players already on the roster are actually fantastic fits for the current regime, that always helps when building a roster in future seasons. The one caveat for New York is the Jets need a quarterback.
It is too early to know much about where the QB prospects will be selected in ’26, but if the Jets play their way out of elite draft position (they currently hold what would be the 7th pick in the first round, as well as the 23rd from Indianapolis) and don’t want to spend all their capital to trade up, how do you feel about NYJ essentially running back the plot of 2025: bringing in a veteran quarterback to see how far the team can go without a long-term solution at QB?
This plan obviously failed this season. But that could be mostly explained away by Justin Fields’ play. He’s been rather horrendous and was not a good fit for what New York wanted to do on offense. That doesn’t mean the plan will always fail. Look no further than Seattle with former Jet Sam Darnold.
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The options for who this placeholder veteran will be are still unknown. We could see names such as Daniel Jones and Geno Smith. Even considering Jones’ current level of success, the names are going to feel underwhelming. It really comes down to this. As the Jets keep winning in the second half of the season, would you rather they spend what might amount to all their important draft capital to trade up for the rookie QB they want or build a full roster around another placeholder veteran?
Dan Salem: A great young QB can make a team great around him, but a great team can also make their QB great with them. Both things are true. Sam Darnold has elevated the Seahawks, just as he elevated the Vikings last year. The Seahawks made Geno Smith very good, just as the Colts have made Daniel Jones very good this season. Fit is critical, but there are nearly as many examples of a veteran helping his new team as there are the new team helping the veteran regain their best self.
What I want doesn’t matter and frankly, the Jets have proven they kinda stink at developing rookie quarterbacks. Both Darnold and Smith are former Jets’ starters who flamed out because the coaching staff never got enough of a team around them. Those players were too raw at the time to elevate New York, so what will Aaron Glenn push his new team to do? Exactly what his former team has done.
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The Lions signed a veteran QB who was cast aside and built up a great team around him, that player being Jared Goff. Selecting two first round players who are both likely to start next season is way more impactful than signing one first round QB who is most likely not going to be ready to have a huge impact in year one. Glenn is all about the team as a whole, so New York is not going after the number one pick for a QB.
It’s foolish to think that any QB can play your team’s system. Look how the Vikings have fallen apart this year without Darnold. I believe the Jets draft a quarterback, but not in the first round and not based on college pedigree. Much like the Giants, they will pick a player who fits the offense they want to run and sign a veteran to play that system in 2026. Several NFL teams have found success with young QBs who have three or fewer years in the league, but most of the top NFL teams have veterans. Eleven of the fourteen current playoff teams (those in playoff position as of week 14) have veteran quarterbacks.
Meet our Sports Writers:
Dan Salem is Lead Editor and Co-owner of BuzzChomp. He’s an award winning Actor, Director and Producer. Visit M Square Productions for his film work, or get lost in his old-school comedy on Pillow Talk TV. You can follow him on X, TikTok and Instagram. His latest film ‘Alone’ is now on Amazon.
Todd Salem is a Staff Writer and Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp. He’s also a champion of fantasy football and fantasy baseball, dominating leagues for over two decades. Comment below on his unfiltered opinions.
New York Jets and Giants Burning Questions – This Is The End
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