John Harbaugh Says the Giants Are Going to Throw Downfield More

Aug 16

4 min read

Updated: 10 minutes ago

Published Aug 16, 2026, 6:21 PM ET | By Vincent Rapisardi

Giants coach John Harbaugh spoke with the media on Sunday following the team's first preseason game vs the Vikings and said that the offense will put more of an emphasis on throwing the ball downfield:

"We can push the ball downfield more. We can throw the ball and challenge people a little bit more intermediate and deep areas and we'll be looking to do that going forward."

Reports coming out of camp have emphasized the Giants' lack of downfield passing. But that seems like something Harbaugh would like to change.

Harbaugh's First Game in Charge

The comments came the day after a 13-10 preseason loss to the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium, Harbaugh's first game as head coach of the Giants. He was named the franchise's 21st head coach on Jan. 17 after an 18-season run with the Baltimore Ravens that included a Super Bowl XLVII title.

Jaxson Dart and most of the first-team offense started the game. According to Giants.com, Dart completed three of his four passes for 26 yards, and his touchdown was a 15-yard throw to rookie wide receiver Malachi Fields, a third-round pick out of Notre Dame. Fields caught all three of his targets for 34 yards.

Dart briefly left the game to be checked for a concussion after taking a big hit on a sack.

Jameis Winston filled in, and his 40-yard completion to running back Devin Singletary on a catch-and-run moved the Giants into scoring position before Dart was cleared and came back to throw the touchdown. Winston later took over full-time and finished 8 of 9 for 89 yards.

Why John Harbaugh's Downfield Comment Matters

Harbaugh's remarks stood out because they ran against what was coming out of training camp. The Athletic's Dan Duggan said the offense had mostly been throwing quick option routes, check downs and swing passes, with few shots down the field. Read more on the lack of deep throws in camp here.

This is also Dart's first offseason in a new system. Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy was the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive coordinator from 2023 to 2025 and the Chicago Bears' head coach from 2018 to 2021, winning AP Coach of the Year in his first season in Chicago.

Former Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan joined the staff as passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach, and he has said the Giants won't abandon what Dart does well.

Dart already showed he can make plays as a rookie. In 14 games and 12 starts in 2025, he completed 216 of 339 passes for 2,272 yards with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions, and he ran for 487 yards and nine touchdowns, a Giants single-season record for a quarterback, according to his team bio.

He was also a finalist for AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.

What to Watch the Rest of the Preseason

The Giants have two exhibition games left: a trip to Miami to face the Dolphins on Saturday, Aug. 22, after joint practices, and the preseason finale against the New York Jets on Friday, Aug. 28.

Harbaugh said the staff would review the Vikings game play by play and player by player, so the next two games should give a clearer picture of whether the offense is actually taking more chances down the field.

Harbaugh also explained why he played his starters. In his view, those players got game reps they otherwise wouldn't see until Week 1, and he said Dart got somewhere between 10 and 15 plays of good football in the opener.

For a young quarterback learning a new offense, those snaps are a chance to put the deeper parts of the playbook into practice before the games count.

Our Take: Harbaugh's Downfield Promise Finally Has a Quarterback

Harbaugh's August quote is easier to judge now. With Jameis Winston starting, the Giants averaged 6.1 yards per pass attempt, 957 yards on 158 throws, per Pro Football Reference.

That isn't the attack he described. JJ McCarthy's Week 6 relief outing is: 11.6 yards per attempt and the league's deepest average target, per PFF, as we covered in JJ McCarthy Led NFL QBs in Yards Per Attempt in Giants Relief Role.

The caveat is that McCarthy threw 21 passes against a defense playing with a lead.

Starting him in Houston puts Harbaugh's preseason promise to a real test. It is the first time this season the quarterback fits the plan.

I'll judge the promise on full games, not one quarter. Houston is where that evaluation starts.

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