Giants QB Jaxson Dart wants to run like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. He has a lot to learn

"They take hits, too, so I’m not an anomaly here," Dart said Tuesday as Giants players gathered one final time before parting ways for their late-season bye week. “I just see that they play the game as competitive and as hard as they can.”

With New York 2-11 and long eliminated from playoff contention, Dart's development is the most important thing during the final four games of the season. Keeping the current and future face of the franchise upright and healthy is at the heart of that.

Interim coach Mike Kafka worked with Mahomes for four seasons with the Chiefs, and general manager Joe Schoen was with the Bills when Allen was evolving as a pro, so they see parallels that can help Dart learn the same sorts of lessons.

“They’re both different, but there’s definitely similar scenarios that have happened that you learn as you continue to play more and more,” Kafka, a retired QB in his own right, said. “He’s an aggressive player, as well, and the same conversations that we have with all the young quarterbacks that I’ve ever been around is, ‘Around the sideline, out in the open field, there’s a decision to make.’”

Dart's penchant to take a hit to make a play is not a unique situation. Washington's Jayden Daniels and even Giants predecessor Daniel Jones are among the many at the sport's most important position who go through the process of figuring out when that extra yard or two is worth it versus sliding.

“There’s very few that can be the pocket passer that’s just a statue in there these days,” Schoen said. “Just got to be smart when you can get down and not have to take hits and unnecessary hits. You've got to take advantage of those opportunities so you can live to see another day.”

Scrambling effectively and not being afraid of contact is one of the reasons Schoen and since-fired coach Brian Daboll liked Dart coming out of Mississippi so much they traded back into the first round to take him. Dart has rushed for 337 yards and seven touchdowns in his first 10 games (eight starts) in the league.

He was also concussed in one of them and missed two as a result. That is why Dart faced so much scrutiny for running with reckless abandon against the Patriots and explained this is how he has played since high school — and like Mahomes and Allen.

“This is football: You’re going to get tackled,” Dart said. “They get tackled. Every quarterback gets tackled. They’ve taken big hits. Every single quarterback has taken big hits.”

Kafka believes Dart is learning the hard way. Getting crushed by Elliss when he could have stepped out of bounds is a textbook example of that, and Dart appreciated tight end Theo Johnson and teammates coming to his defense.

“I appreciate my guys having my back,” Dart said. “That’s just something that I know they’d do for me, and I’d do the same thing for them.”

The Giants do not want to change Dart and take away his creativity. They'd just like to keep him on the field so he can lead the turnaround the organization badly needs.

“You try to find a fine line between playing smart but also not taking away what makes them great,” Schoen said. “There’s a fine line and what makes Jaxson great is his competitiveness, his desire to win and that’s the way he’s wired.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl