New York Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka announced on Friday morning that starting rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart has not yet cleared concussion protocol and will NOT PLAY vs. the Detroit Lions this
week. Dart had returned to practice after missing last week’s game against the Green Bay Packers, but was limited all week.
That’s a break for the Lions defense, as Dart has been one of the most electric rookie quarterbacks this season, particularly with his feet. For the season, Dart has completed 128-of-204 passes for 1,417 yards, 10 touchdowns, three interceptions, and a 93.5 passer rating. On the ground, he’s contributed an additional 317 yards and seven rushing touchdowns this year.
Instead, the Giants are likely to turn to veteran Jameis Winston, who unseated Russell Wilson as the team’s backup recently. Last week against the Packers, Winston completed 19-of-29 passes for 201 yards, an interception, and a 71.2 passer rating. He’s obviously not as much of a running threat, although he did have three rushes for 10 yards and a score against Green Bay.
The Lions already have the No. 4 pass defense by DVOA prior to this game. Now with the Giants missing their top quarterback—while also down top receiver Malik Nabers and possibly WR2 Darius Slayton—this appears to be a pretty favorable matchup for Detroit to rebound after last week’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Detroit will drop their injury report later on Friday, expected around 4 p.m. ET. Coach Dan Campbell will precede that with a press conference on Friday morning.
