Giants safety Jaxon Dart clears concussion protocol before Eagles game

The New York Giants they had their brightest moment in years when they beat the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles 34-17 in a nationally televised Week 6 game. The performance marked a coming-out party for a pair of rookie quarterbacks Jackson Dart and running back Cam Skattebo.

The performance was incredible and gave both the team and its long-suffering fans the idea that the Giants were prepared for a significant upheaval. That continued through more than three quarters in Week 7 against the Denver Broncos, as New York went on a 19-0 run after three quarters in the Mile High City to take a 26-8 lead with just over 10 minutes to play.

The final 10-plus minutes turned into a nightmare and the Giants suffered a 33-32 loss.

If a team needs a reset and maybe a timeout, it is the Giants. But the NFL doesn’t work that way as they will return to the NFL Tornado on Sunday against an Eagles team looking for revenge.

While the task will be tough and it will be difficult to match the success they had at MetLife Stadium when they played at Lincoln Financial Field, the Giants received some good news at practice Thursday. Center John Michael Schmitz, one of Dart’s key patrons, was a full participant in practice and is exempt from concussion protocol.

The Giants need to put a nightmare losing streak behind them

Head coach Brian Daboll needs his team to focus on the positive developments that allowed the team to beat the Eagles two weeks ago and build a significant lead over the Broncos. If they can match that and avoid the big mistakes that cost them in the final quarter against the Broncos, the Giants could be competitive in this game.

Dart has been impressive since being named the starting quarterback. He completed 71 of 118 passes for 791 yards with 7 touchdown passes and 3 interceptions. He also rushed for 178 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Skatebo became the team’s leading guard. He has 98 carries for 398 yards and 5 touchdowns for an average of 4.06 yards per carry. Skatebo runs with energy and enthusiasm that has helped the team play with energy and growing confidence.

The Giants need that to continue into Week 8 and beyond.