An inside look at Sunday’s Giants-Chargers NFL Week 4 matchup at MetLife Stadium:
Marquee matchup
Giants OLB Brian Burns vs. Chargers RT Trey Pipkins
Burns is tied for second in the NFL in sacks with four — matching Myles Garrett and Byron Young, behind only Rashan Gary (4.5 sacks).
Burns is off to a flying start to his second season with the Giants.
Pipkins, in his eighth year with the Chargers, has plenty of experience at tackle but started at right guard in 2024 to accommodate first-round pick Joe Alt.
When stud left tackle Rashawn Slater went down in August with a season-ending knee injury, Alt moved to left tackle and Pipkins went to right tackle.
Four downs
Timing is everything: The Chargers are 3-0, and that means history does not bode well for Jaxson Dart.
Rookie quarterbacks making their first career start against an unbeaten team in Week 4 or later are 0-4 since 2000, according to NextGen Stats.
The last rookie to win in this scenario? Phil Simms with the Giants in 1979.
He made his first start in Week 6 and beat the 5-0 Buccaneers. No wonder Simms wants to see Dart, now.
“I was one of these guys,’’ Simms said on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio. “I was just a fan the first game or two, like, ‘Yeah, this is pretty cool,’ being on the sideline and watching the game. And then Week 3, I remember looking out there going, ‘You know, I can do this.’ And then by Week 4 you’re like, ‘Shoot, when are they going to play me?’ And I’m sure Jaxson Dart is kind of in that same mold.’’
Pick up the pace: It is up to the guys in charge to develop a game plan to suit the new quarterback.
This means we are sure to see a more up-tempo attack on offense, with plenty of run-pass option plays in which Dart has the choice to hand it to his running back or tuck it and run with it himself.
Dart did plenty of no-huddle stuff at Ole Miss.
“We’ve done that in the past here with whoever was playing quarterback,’’ offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said. “We’ve done it with [Russell Wilson] at times, too. So, I think there is an element of that. We saw it in the preseason, we were able to test it. I think our guys are comfortable with it.’’
Help a guy out: It would greatly benefit Dart if his teammates on defense create a short field once in a while with a stop deep in Chargers territory, or, even, dare we say, causing a turnover to give the offense the ball in the red zone.
The Giants have forced only one turnover in their first three games, an interception by Dru Phillips at Dallas in Week 2.
“It’s something we’ve always tried to preach, like let’s do a good job seeing if we can get the ball away so we can set these guys up with some better field position,’’ defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said. “It’s not always about just stopping them, keeping them from scoring. It’s about being able to set up the offense regardless of who the quarterback is.’’
Not Justin time: The Giants owned the No. 4-overall pick in the 2020 daft.
They had Daniel Jones entering his second season and opted to fortify the line in front of Jones by taking left tackle Andrew Thomas.
Two sports later, the Chargers at No. 6 selected Justin Herbert. He is a franchise quarterback.
Through three weeks, he led the league with 860 passing yards (Sam Darnold has 905 yards in four games) along with six touchdowns and one interception.
His passer rating of 105.5 is second only to Darnold.
The Giants are 28th in pass defense, allowing 252 yards per game.
Paul’s pick
What a difference a quarterback makes? The Giants sure hope so.
Jaxson Dart will get a nice opening ovation from the home crowd, but then he must perform.
Perhaps he and dynamic rookie running back Cam Skattebo can inject some spirit into the attack.
Justin Herbert has been sacked 10 times in three games.
It is time for the defensive front to rise up and cause havoc.
Chargers 24, Giants 20
