Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart was ruled out for the second consecutive game with a concussion. Interim head coach Mike Kafka cited a lack of progress from Dart under the NFL’s mandated protocol this week.
Jameis Winston took the majority of the snaps with the starting offense during the team’s three practices in preparation for Sunday, when the Giants (2-9) are at Ford Field to tackle the Detroit Lions (6-4).
“The beauty of Jameis, the beauty of our group on offense and defense and special teams is our guys prep. They put the work in,” Kafka said. “They’re preparing themselves to play. Whether they’re a practice squad guy or they’re a backup in a primary role, they’re preparing and they’re asking questions and they’re detailing out their work throughout the work week.
“So, no surprise to me that Jameis is ready to go. I have full confidence in him, just like I did last week, and we’ll just keep on carrying on and Jameis will carry the torch for the group.”
Winston completed 19 of 29 passes for 201 yards and ran for a touchdown last week but the Giants lost 27-20 to the Green Bay Packers. He turned it over on each of New York’s last two possessions.
The Lions have 31 sacks and 12 takeaways in 10 games this season. The Giants have allowed 33 sacks.
There was optimism for Dart’s return because he was able to practice on a limited basis Wednesday and Thursday. But he was not cleared for contact.
“My only concern was just making sure Jaxson’s healthy and right,” Kafka said. “Again, we have a lot of trust in the doctors. We have a lot of trust in that process, going through the concussion process. I know myself, I’ve had a couple concussions over the course of my career and you just want to feel comfortable and good. So, I think having that trust and understanding that everyone’s just looking out for your best interest is important and we are certainly doing that with Jaxson.”
Dart last played Week 10 at Chicago when he was removed to be checked for a head injury in a game for the fourth time since the preseason. Dart exited as the Giants went ahead 20-10 on the Bears, only to blow that game in the final minutes of the fourth quarter resulting in head coach Brian Daboll being fired.
Russell Wilson, who entered the game against the Bears as the No. 2 quarterback, was later demoted by Kafka in favor of Winston.
Dart had 10 touchdowns and three interceptions along with a team-high seven rushing touchdowns since he was promoted to the starting spot in Week 4. He went three games without an interception including the loss to the Bears, when he accounted for both of New York’s touchdowns on scoring runs of 3 and 24 yards.
–Field Level Media
