Giants vs Packers: Happy Jameis Winston Week!

The Giants are 2-8 and are heading into Week 11 coming off of the firing of former head coach Brian Daboll. The news broke on Monday, after the Giants squandered another fourth quarter lead in Chicago. Daboll finished 20-40-1 over four seasons and never consistently showed the traits of a successful NFL head coach, even after that fluke 2022 playoff run. From 2023–2025, Daboll’s teams went 11-33, including a 3-14 season in 2024 and this year’s 2-8 start. John Mara had seen enough and made the decision to fire Daboll mid-season, an uncharacteristic move given that Mara rarely - if ever - fires coaches during the season. The sinking ship finally reached the ocean floor, and Mara had to pull the plug. We all knew it was only a matter of time after blowing another lead and once again putting Jaxson Dart in harm’s way, resulting in a concussion. Daboll’s mistakes had piled up, and there was simply no justification for giving him another week.

Here is the joint statement from Mara and chairman Steve Tisch on the firing:

"We spoke this morning about the direction of our franchise on the field, and we have decided that, at this time, it is in our best interest to make a change at the head coaching position. The past few seasons have been nothing short of disappointing, and we have not met our expectations for this franchise. We understand the frustrations of our fans, and we will work to deliver a significantly improved product."

With that said, we move into Week 11. Jaxson Dart is still recovering from the concussion he suffered last week and won't be cleared for this week's game. The first order of business for new interim head coach Mike Kafka was to name his starting quarterback. He made the right move in calling on Jameis Winston's number to take over the reins. Russell Wilson simply isn’t a reliable starting quarterback in this league and it is telling that Kafka made the switch when it seemed Brian Daboll never even thought of making the change even when Wilson struggled. Winston might throw 5 interceptions, but you and I know damn well that will come with 400 yards and 5 touchdown passes. Winston will bring a spark with his energy and arm to this offense. It's a big moment for him to solidify his role as Dart's backup for the 2026 season.

A tough test awaits against a Green Bay Packers team who just put up an offensive dud in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night. Still, the Packers are a strong squad with an ascending Jordan Love and a defense ranked third in total yards allowed, per Pro Football Reference. This will certainly be a test for Winston and the offense against Jeff Hafley's defense.

All that and more as I dive into the offensive and defensive sides of the ball ahead of this match up at MetLife Stadium on what should be a chilly Sunday afternoon in New Jersey.

The Offense

Jameis, keep eating those Ws

The offense sputtered last week once Jaxson Dart left the game for good at the end of the third quarter. When Russell Wilson came in, it immediately felt like the Giants would either settle for three points or fail to score altogether on that early fourth-quarter drive. From the 7-yard line, they called two runs, followed by a Wilson scramble that led to a Younghoe Koo 19-yard field goal to take a 20–10 lead with about 10 minutes left. They wouldn't score again while the Bears went out and put together two scoring drives to pull out the win.

On three fourth quarter drives, Wilson went 3/7 for 45 yards and was sacked twice. There was nothing inspiring about those drives, and a collapse felt inevitable. It still bewilders me how Brian Daboll trusted Wilson more than Jameis Winston as Dart’s backup each week, even with Wilson’s season-long struggles. I’ll never know his reasoning, but Wilson’s play certainly made Kafka’s decision to start Winston much easier this week.

Winston now faces a strong Packers defense that is 8th best in passing yards allowed (1,759), 12th best in opponent first downs allowed (96), and are led by one of the best pass rushers in the game in Micah Parsons. Green Bay have pressured quarterbacks 23% of the time with Parsons ranking 6th in the league with a 21% pass rush win rate, per ESPN Analytics. The Giants will need to lean on Winston to throw the ball because the Packers are also really strong against the run, allowing just 3.8 yards per attempt good for fifth in the league, per Pro Football Reference. This defense doesn’t have many weaknesses, which is bad news for a Giants offense trotting out a new starter.

I expect Kafka, who will call plays alongside newly promoted offensive coordinator Tim Kelly, to continue leaning on the short game with Wan’Dale Robinson and the tight ends. Darius Slayton will be out for this one and the receiving corps continues to suffer from lack of depth and talent. They did re-sign Isaiah Hodgins, and I expect the Giants to try to get him involved at some point. Since they refuse to unleash Jalin Hyatt, they may as well get someone out there who can serve as a downfield threat.

All in all, I'm not sure where the Giants will succeed on offense in such a tough match up. They do not stack up well against this Packers defense and could struggle to move the ball even with the spark of new quarterback Jameis Winston. It could be a tough watch but hey, they have nothing to lose. and did I mention Winston will throw for 400 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. And did I mention Winston will throw for 400 yards, five touchdowns, and five picks? I’m manifesting that Winston masterclass. Well… maybe without the interceptions.

The Defense

Abdul Carter chasing after Caleb Williams in the Giants' week 10 loss against the Chicago Bears

I thought the defense did a great job against a dynamic Bears offense for three quarters last week; Then it all came crashing down. That’s been the theme all season: they bend, then eventually break, usually in dramatic fashion. Caleb Williams had his way with them on those two late scoring drives, and they must be better at preventing explosive pass plays. That is their kryptonite, and the secondary deserves much of the blame. They leave too many windows open downfield, and this week doesn’t get any easier. Jordan Love will attack the deep middle and downfield areas that the Giants consistently fail to defend. He’s a surgical passer, and even though they put up only seven points last week, the Packers offense has been strong overall this year.

The run defense now faces one of the best in the game in Josh Jacobs. He has run for over 600 yards and 11 touchdowns on the year, and is averaging about 4 yards per attempt. The Giants run defense is tied with the Bills for the worst in the league heading into week 11 allowing 5.5 yards per attempt, per Pro Football Reference. Last week, the Bears ran for 171 yards and given the year-long trend I expect somewhat of the same outcome this week. The Packers will play to this weakness and run the ball with Jacobs at will until they can't anymore. If I had to predict, he will probably finish with 20+ carries and 100+ yards. Put your bets in now because the Giants will have a very hard time stopping him in this one.

Even with the flaws and injuries, there are still bright spots. The pass rush remains the strongest part of this defense, and I’d like to see them get home after failing to sack Caleb Williams last week. Kayvon Thibodeaux is out with an injury, so that should free up more snaps for Abdul Carter. The rookie has a half sack to his name, but I'd like to see him pick up his first full one given the opportunity in front of him. He and Brian Burns can wreak havoc off the edge. With Dexter Lawrence drawing double teams all day, this is an area where the Giants could actually find some success.

It looks like Tyler Nubin will miss this week, so Dane Belton will step into the strong safety role. I like Belton and he is one of the best tacklers on the team so I expect to see him in on a lot of plays this week. Paulson Adebo is trending toward playing, which is great news and should help with the cornerback issues caused by Deonte Banks’ struggles. I’m grateful we’ll see less of Banks, his tackling and coverage inconsistencies have become liabilities. The secondary remains a major weakness, but getting their top corner back helps.

Closing

There isn't much else to say other than that the Giants are overmatched against the Packers on both sides of the ball. Green Bay is trending upward - even after a tough loss - while the Giants are simply trying to keep themselves afloat after firing Brian Daboll and sinking to the bottom of the NFC. There’s plenty of excitement around Jameis Winston starting, because he’s such a positive, energetic presence, but I’m still sad Dart won’t be playing. He gives them their best chance to win.

My expectations are low for the Giants, but with a new head coach and a veteran quarterback that just wants to go out and play hard-nosed football you never know what could happen. Tommy DeVito went out a few years back and beat Jordan Love and the Packers at MetLife on Monday Night Football. Why not Jameis? Why not play spoiler to a team fighting for a playoff spot in the NFC? Why not us?

We'll find out soon enough. As always, let's go Giants.