The Packers seize a rare second chance to reset their season and turn uncertainty into momentum.QQ
Giants will have a new coach, new offensive coordinator, and new quarterback against Green Bay on Sunday.
The New York Giants who will face the Green Bay Packers on Sunday will be a different version of themselves. With the firing of Brian Daboll, former offensive coordinator Mike Kafka was promoted to interim head coach, and tight ends coach Tim Kelly was elevated to offensive coordinator.
Additionally, starting quarterback Jaxson Dart will be out with a concussion. Without the rookie, Jameis Winston is set to start as he was elevated to QB2 ahead of Russell Wilson on the depth chart.
Travis Hunter’s rookie season has come to a disappointing end…
“We are also going to put Jameis Winston as our starting quarterback,” Kafta said on Wednesday. “He will do a great job, we have a lot of confidence in Jameis. I have a lot of confidence in Russ, he will be the backup as Jaxson works through the concussion protocol. Our players are pros, so my job is to get them in position to be successful and work through the week here, continue making adjustments with the staff as we continue to prep for Green Bay, which is the most important thing.”
What the Packers can expect
Even though Jameis Winston has been an up and down quarterback, he’s been pretty successful against the Packers throughout his career, especially in his first two games versus Green Bay.
However, there are material differences between now and then. Most importantly, the Packers had Dom Capers as the defensive coordinator in 2017 and Joe Barry in 2021 and 2023. Now, it’s a totally different and more aggressive defensive structure with Jeff Hafley, playing primarily single high defense.
Winston is older now as well. He’s 31 and hasn’t played since Week 15 of last year, in his final start for the Cleveland Browns. He spent most of this season as QB3, behind Wilson and Dart.
In 2024, he had a poor season with the Browns, throwing 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions throughout 12 games — with seven starts. He had an 80.6 passer rating.
Jameis Winston’s key stats in 2024
- Big-time throw rate 3.5%
- Turnover-worthy play rate 5.2%
- Average depth of target 9.7
- Pressure to sack ratio 23.3%
- Time to throw 2.67
Those numbers from Winston are even worse than what rookie Jaxson Dart and Russell Wilson have produced this season for the Giants.
Russell Wilson’s 2025 stats
- Big-time throw rate 6.2%
- Turnover-worthy play rate 4.6%
- Average depth of target 9.7
- Pressure to sack ratio 18.2%
- Time to throw 2.76
Jaxson Dart’s 2025 stats
- Big-time throw rate 5.9
- Turnover-worthy play rate 3.4%
- Average depth of target 9.4
- Pressure to sack ratio 23.6%
- Time to throw 3.09
Mostly, Jameis Winston throws the ball more quickly, but he’s more prone to mistakes — and at least last year, he didn’t produce as many big plays as you would think. Theoretically, Winston can put his playmakers in position to perform, and that’s why he’s taking over from Wilson, who’s a more conservative passer.
The Packers’ defense has been highly effective this year, except for the Dallas Cowboys game where Dak Prescott played at an absolute elite level. With Winston making his Giants debut on Sunday, the unit will have another opportunity to make high-impact plays — hopefully for the Packers, the offense will take advantage of it this time around.
