Put away the tinfoil hats and stick to wearing beanies in the cold, conspiracy theorists.
Giants interim offensive coordinator Tim Kelly shot down the idea that fewer designed runs are being called for Jaxson Dart in the three games since he returned from a concussion as a way of taking the element of sliding out of his rookie quarterback’s control.
The Giants face the Raiders on Sunday in the NFL’s first battle between teams riding nine-game losing streaks in the same season, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
“We can put our tinfoil hats on,” Kelly said, “but we’re preparing the offense and Jaxson to go out and win. There’s nothing as far as we need to protect him from himself. You guys watch the game, you can’t do that. It’s more dictated on how the games have gone and maybe some of the opponents that we’ve played and the structures that they’ve presented that maybe lead to that.”
Dart had 35 designed runs in his first seven career starts (all with Brian Daboll as head coach) and just four in his three starts (under interim head coach Mike Kafka) since returning from a two-game absence, according to TruMedia.
He has gained 6 yards.
“While it may not be transpiring throughout the game,” Kelly said, “I wouldn’t say that’s necessarily the plan in terms of the different calls and different things that we have in the game plan for him. One reason or another, those may not have come off the call sheet.”
Kafka — who was the play-caller under Daboll and remains in that role — said the Giants are “carrying the same amount of designed runs that, really, we have all season.”
Dart amassed a quarterback rating of 93.5 with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions when he was a dual threat.
Since he has been more pocket-oriented, those numbers have fallen to 78.5, three and two, respectively.
“How the game is going to roll is going to determine when and where we want to use those things,” Kafka said.