Jaxson Dart enjoyed the hostile road environments in the SEC, so the New York Giants’ rookie is ready to embrace the villain role when he visits Philadelphia for the first time as an NFL quarterback on Sunday.
“It’s going to be intense for sure,” Dart said Wednesday. “I can’t wait to go out there and compete and kind of just feel the hostility in the air. The rivalry between the two organizations — it’s going to be really cool. I kind of compare it to an SEC rivalry, so I’m really excited for the atmosphere. I know it’s going to be intense, but just excited for it.”
The former Ole Miss star hasn’t tasted success on the road yet in the NFL. Since taking over as the starter, Dart has a pair of home wins but is 0-2 away from MetLife Stadium. That includes last Sunday’s 33-32 heartbreaker in Denver, where the Giants blew a 26-8 fourth-quarter lead.
“Obviously it stings for a little bit, but we’ve got to move on,” Dart said. “We can’t let it affect the next game and next moment.”
That next moment comes with a unique challenge on Sunday. Dart will face not only the defending Super Bowl champions, but also a bitter division rival that had no answers for the rookie quarterback in a 34-17 loss at New York on “Thursday Night Football” just two weeks ago.
The Eagles rebounded from their second consecutive loss with a 28-22 win at Minnesota on Sunday. They are now 3-1 at home, with the rematch against the Giants leading into Philadelphia’s bye week.
At 5-2 on the season, Philadelphia is 1 1/2 games ahead of Dallas, two ahead of Washington and three clear of the 2-5 Giants.
However, the Eagles know they’re facing a rival with a young quarterback who has brought a new swagger to the long-downtrodden franchise along with fellow rookie running back Cam Scattebo.
“Especially this quick of a turnaround, I don’t think I’ve ever done that before,” Dart said. “Each team is going make a lot of adjustments on what we saw two weeks ago and it’s just going to be a game of chess and we’re going to have to figure out what they’re doing early, they’re going to have to figure out what we’re doing early. It’s just going to be a game of constant adjustments.”
Dart is embracing the challenge, referring to the “high-pressure moments” he has been put in since he was a kid. He’s also expecting everything the notorious Philadelphia fans can throw at him, and said he doesn’t mind playing the villain role as the Giants try to get their first win at Lincoln Financial Field in 12 years.
“Yeah, I think a little bit. I mean I think anybody finds it enjoyable when you’re able to win games on the road,” Dart said. “I like to hear (the crowd). It just amps up the intensity, amps up the moment.”
Veteran wide receiver Darius Slayton (Auburn) said that while the SEC is similar, playing in Philadelphia as a bitter rival is definitely different.
“I mean, if he didn’t have any haters, he’ll find out where they all live,” Slayton joked. “He’s about to get introduced to all of them.”