Patriots-Giants preseason takeaways: Rookie Jaxson Dart ends strong preseason on sour note

The New England Patriots and New York Giants have put the preseason to bed. The two clubs squared off on Thursday night for their final exhibition of the summer, and it was the Giants who ended the preseason on a winning note with a 42-10 victory at MetLife Stadium. 

Both teams decided against playing their starters in this preseason matchup, meaning the likes of Drake Maye, Russell Wilson, Malik Nabers, TreVeyon Henderson, and others were mere spectators for this contest. While the star power was lacking, the storylines weren't. Roster battles were still unfolding, and the Giants got what may be their last in-game look at rookie phenom Jaxson Dart -- who had an up-and-down finale -- for quite a while.  

Below, you can find our notable observations from this exhibition. 

Jaxson Dart has coachable moment

He's human after all. For what felt like 99% of the preseason, Dart looked like a veteran. Despite being the 25th overall pick just a few months ago, the rookie has shown tremendous command whenever he was under center this preseason. No matter if he had pressure in his face or needed to make throws on the run, Dart was delivering. Even in this preseason finale against New England, the Ole Miss product began the game (his first start) with his hair on fire, which included a 50-yard gain to Gunner Olszewski en route to a touchdown on the opening possession.

While the Dart hype train is still running full steam ahead, it did hit a minor speed bump in the exhibition. During New York's fourth possession of the night and facing a fourth-and-4 situation, Dart scrambled up the middle for a 23-yard gain. However, instead of going down a few yards earlier, the rookie tried fighting for extra yards and ended up fumbling. The Patriots recovered, but the turnover was nullified due to a penalty on the defense. 

Even though it was erased, this is a coachable moment for Brian Daboll to instill into his young quarterback on a couple of levels. First off, ball security is more important than an extra yard or two. Second, sliding needs to be his best friend to not only protect the football, but also protect himself. 

After the play, Dart was taken out of the game and evaluated for a head injury, but was cleared. However, that was the final moment for the young quarterback in the game (and preseason), ending what was otherwise a stellar summer on a bit of a sour note. 

Has Greg Dulcich done enough to make 53-man roster?

Remember Greg Dulcich? The former Denver Broncos tight end who was a fantasy football darling for over two months back in 2022? Well, he might be crashing New York's depth chart. The top two tight end spots are already solidified for the Giants with Theo Johnson as the starter and Chris Manhertz as the primary blocker. While Daniel Bellinger may be looked at as the next man up on the depth chart, Dulcich might have something to say about that. The veteran has put together a strong preseason and ended his summer with an impressive showing against the Patriots. He caught all four of his targets for 26 yards and two touchdowns, including a 7-yard score from Jaxson Dart on the opening drive of the game. This is the second week in a row Dulcich has found the end zone. 

Only special teams can save Javon Baker

New England's wide receiver battle is one of the more intriguing aspects of the team's looming roster cutdown. At the moment, it feels like Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, and Kayshon Boutte will make up the top five slots at the position. If they go with six wideouts, that final spot likely goes to summer darling Efton Chism III, an undrafted free agent out of Eastern Washington. 

Now is where it gets interesting. Can the Patriots extend themselves and hold seven (!) receivers on the opening 53-man roster? To me, it seems unlikely, but if that's what ultimately unfolds, the final player to land on the depth chart would be Javon Baker. And he'd have his play on special teams to thank. 

Baker has been serving as a gunner for the Patriots this summer and has played quite well in that role, making plays on special teams throughout the preseason. That includes getting Giants running back Dante Miller to muff a punt return, which the Patriots recovered on Thursday night. 

Again, it feels like Baker's struggles as a receiver could prove to be his demise in his pursuit of landing on the roster (at least one drop and an OPI vs. New York), but his play on special teams does give him a glimmer of hope.

Cole Strange has rough sequence

New England has rotated the center and left guard spot throughout the latter part of the summer, but the former first-round pick hasn't done himself any favors in hopes of locking up either position. Lining up at center, Strange had a rough back-to-back sequence of poor play that won't paint him in the best light. After recovering a muffed punt and getting the ball deep into New York territory, Strange had a bad exchange with quarterback Ben Wooldridge, and the ball hit the ground. One play later, Strange was beaten on the interior and held his opponent, pushing the offense back 10 yards. 

Not ideal when you're fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster.

Kyle Dugger grabs INT amid uncertain future

Kyle Dugger may have just played his last game for the New England Patriots, as the veteran safety has been at the center of trade rumors over the last week. That comes in the aftermath of the 29-year-old dropping on the depth chart into a backup role behind Jabrill Peppers and rookie Craig Woodson. While Dugger's days in Foxborough may be numbered, he did show that he can contribute somewhere in the NFL. In the preseason finale, Dugger piled up six tackles and broke up two passes, including an interception in the end zone off of Jameis Winston. That may be too little too late to secure a roster spot with the Patriots, but it may make him even more attractive on the trade market.