Patience, Matt Nagy cautioned, is going to be required.
Nobody should be surprised that the Giants offense is behind the defense. That the feeling-out process is ongoing.
That there are days like Tuesday when Jaxson Dart and the offense, to quote the new offensive coordinator, aren’t “good enough.”
“We’re halfway through our run install and halfway through our pass install, if it gives you any perspective,” said Nagy, who spent the previous four seasons working under Andy Reid with the Chiefs. “We still have a lot left, and we’re trying to just figure out, ‘OK, what do we want to do as we go through it?’”
This was another day when the offense and Dart were unimpressive. Dart was picked off once, by inside linebacker Arvell Reese on an absurd play in which the rookie tipped the Dart pass to himself and came down with the ball. But it was more than that.
He took too many sacks and was at times inaccurate, especially during a 7-on-7 red zone period when he was only 2-for-8 passing.
“Today was an average practice, maybe below average. It wasn’t good enough,” Nagy said. “He knows that. We know that. We’ll put it on tape, but we also talk about success through struggles, and … there’s going to be some struggles as we go through this now in training camp and during the season, but how do we react?”
It is understandable. Dart doesn’t have his No. 1 receiver, Malik Nabers, and is learning a new offense with new coaches and new receivers. He is facing a defense, led by Dennard Wilson, that Nagy described as “crazy,” because of its complexities.
Nagy has been impressed by how fast Dart is learning for his age, a process that began in the spring. They are putting a lot on his plate, and he keeps coming back for more. Right now, the Giants are trying to see which plays suit Dart and the offense and which ones don’t, while continuing to add more.
Mastering the offense and playing fast is only part of it, though. There is an added component the Giants want to see.
“Now we’ve got to get to the part of seeing the defense and taking it to the next level, because the kid is super talented,” Nagy said.
Later, he added: “Like if there’s one or two plays where he might not be seeing it well, let’s figure out why you’re not. And if you’re not, let’s just get rid of the play. Let’s go to a different play.”
What should help is a productive running game that will lessen the pressure on Dart and give him more time to develop a comfort level in the offense. The Giants want to play a physical brand of football and set up the pass with the run.
“I played quarterback my entire life, and having a run game is the friendliest thing in the world,” Nagy said. “I mean, you want to be able to run the football. Everybody says it, but you’ve got to be able to do it.”
It is worth remembering that it is still early. The opener against the Cowboys is roughly a month away. The Giants still haven’t played their first preseason game. There is time for Dart and the offense to get going and for the coaching staff to decide what works best for this group.
“Whether it’s walk-through, group install or competitive, we have a lot of stuff on tape right now that we’re able to pull and look at and decide what we want to do,” Nagy said.
They have yet to pull the proverbial trigger. Nagy, Dart and Co. are still in the fact-finding portion of the summer. The results have made that clear.
