The New York Giants (0-3) host the Los Angeles Chargers (3-0) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday afternoon.

The Chargers have dominated the series of late, winning five straight over the Giants with an average margin of victory of 13 points.

Advertisement

Here are five storylines we’ll be following heading into Sunday’s matchup.

Dart to start

This is really the story of the week, both here and in the NFL. Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart was going to play at some point in 2025; we just didn’t know when. He was impressive all spring and summer, throwing for 372 yards and three touchdowns on 32-of-47 passing in the preseason. The Giants’ offense ran like a top with him under center, and they’re hoping that wasn’t an aberration.

Dart will be given a long leash as head coach Brian Daboll told reporters Wednesday that Dart will be the starter for the remainder of the season.

Advertisement

Daboll’s seat: Hotter or cooler?

The decision to start Dart was Daboll’s get out of jail free card. Letting the rookie play restarts the clock on his Giants’ coaching career, but that doesn’t mean the heat will die down, especially if the Giants show little improvement. Daboll is 18-35-1 as the Giants’ head coach, and the team has gotten sloppy, undisciplined, and appears to be poorly managed overall. He needs Dart to save his bacon here.

Charging ahead with Hampton

A Hampton will be running the football in Jersey again this Sunday. Not Rodney, though. Chargers rookie Omarian Hampton, that is. Every year, a rookie running back breaks out, and this year that player could be Hampton, the 22nd overall selection in the 2025 NFL draft out of North Carolina, who scored his first NFL touchdown last week.

Advertisement

Hampton ranks second among rookies with 215 scrimmage yards (142 rushing, 73 receiving) in 2025. He began the season in a timeshare with veteran Najee Harris, but will be the lead back after Harris tore his Achilles tendon last week. Hampton is in a great spot here against the Giants’ 31st-ranked run defense.

An opportunity for Dexter

Dexter Lawrence has been dealing with the effects of offseason elbow surgery and constant double teams from opposing offensive lines. Lawrence has been neutralized thus far. He has just eight total tackles in three games, with none for a loss and zero sacks. Dex may get a break this week as the Chargers are having injury issues on the interior of their offensive line. Guard Mekhi Becton (concussion) and center Bradley Bozeman (back) did not practice on Wednesday.

A trio to be reckoned with

Last year, the Chargers gave star quarterback Justin Herbert few weapons to get the job done. This year, that is not the case. The Bolts offense features a trio of wide receivers (Keenan Allen, Quentin Johnston, and Ladd McConkey) who have at least 14 catches and 150 receiving yards, the only team in the NFL to do so this season. Allen returns after a year in Chicago with the Bears. McConkey, a 2024 second-round pick, and Johnson, a 2023 first-rounder, are both coming into their own as NFL wideouts. The Giants are 28th against the pass this season, yielding 252 yards per game.

This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants vs. Chargers: 5 storylines to watch in Week 4