Why Brian Daboll faced tough questions about Jaxson Dart, Abdul Carter after Giants' Week 1 loss at Commanders

Giants coach Brian Daboll expects Jaxson Dart and Abdul Carter -- cornerstone first-rounders on opposite sides of the football -- to lift this franchise quickly. How soon is a determination that Daboll must make before the onslaught of questions from New York media only heighten, if losses mount this season.

Three years removed from being named the NFL's 2022 Coach of the Year, Daboll and the Giants are 9-26 overall since that memorable playoff loss to the Eagles. Sunday's disheartening 21-6 setback against the Commanders lands as another reminder that the rebuild is in full swing.

Terrific in the preseason, Dart could have made his NFL debut via a reported package of plays for Week 1, but it didn't happen. In fact, Daboll said after the game that he never considered replacing Russell Wilson with Dart.

New York mustered an anemic 231 total yards, whiffed on most third downs and had six possessions spanning six plays or fewer.

"We've all got to be better -- every coach, every player," Daboll said Sunday. "You have six points there. Just not good enough. We've got to do better there."

Wilson, who signed a one-year contract with the Giants in March, skipped several throws and didn't appear comfortable while completing 17 of 37 for 168 yards.

Wilson's 45.9 completion rate was the second-lowest figure among Week 1 starters, while his 25.5 QBR ranked lower than every appearance but one last season with the Steelers.

Wilson targeted Malik Nabers 12 times, and the Giants' top playmaker finished with five catches for 71 yards after Wilson missed on several deep throws where Nabers was open.

It should come as no surprise that Daboll was asked to assess Wilson's performance, immediately leading to a follow-up surrounding Dart.

"I'm going to have to go back and watch all the tape, see how it looks and see what we can do better," Daboll said Sunday. "Obviously, there's plenty. That's all of us."

Carter flashes despite limited snaps

Carter, who finished with three tackles and helped on an assisted sack with Kayvon Thibodeaux in his first game, is New York's prized No. 3 pick whom the Giants pair with Brian Burns as a formidable duo.

Questions about edge rotations centered around Carter's usage rate and snap count, something that Daboll and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen will iron out as the season progresses.

"Abdul played 38 and he was on (our) punt block team, too, so he had a total of 43," Daboll said Monday. "... You want to rotate this guys and try to keep those guys as fresh as we can. We knew that Abdul was going to be on that punt team. Again, just trying to keep those guys as fresh as we can with the packages that we have."

The Commanders averaged 6.9 yards per rush and finished with 432 total yards in Sunday's opener, icing the game with an 80-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.

Carter made a veteran decision on the final play of the first half, forcing Jayden Daniels into an intentional grounding after he was left unblocked on third down from the 4-yard line.

Instead of running through the opposing quarterback, Carter put his hand up in pursuit as Daniels sailed a pass through the back of the end zone.

The penalty ended the half with no points for the Commanders.

"(Carter) had 43 total snaps, Burns had 48 and I think Kayvon was at, what, low 50s or mid 50s?" Daboll said Monday. "Again, we want to keep those guys as fresh as we can. They did a pretty good job, relative to their roles. Couple things we can improve on in that area, but those three guys are going to play a lot. Trying to balance out the numbers as best we can so they can be as fresh as they can be."

Clock ticks for Dart

Unleashing Dart before he's ready is not ideal, but how will the Giants know what they could potentially have in the first-year signal-caller without providing that opportunity on game day?

Daboll's been high on Dart from the jump and backed the move on draft day when the Giants moved up to take him.

There's little upside and growth opportunity for this offense with a 36-year-old Wilson back there. Daboll refused to blame Wilson for New York's deficiencies over the weekend but initially stopped short of definitively calling the veteran his starter for Week 2 at the Cowboys.

"I have confidence in Russell, so we're going to go back, we'll evaluate the tape," Daboll said Sunday, before confirming Wilson as the Giants' Week 2 starter Monday. "This game isn't on Russell Wilson. It's not on Russell Wilson. I want to make that clear. I have confidence in Russell. We've got to do a better job all the way around."

The Giants have only had a one-game sample size, but falling two games back in the NFC East -- should Wilson struggle in Dallas -- would be a sizable red flag for Daboll and this team's offensive staff.