Will Jaxson return in Week 13?
For the last two weeks, the Giants have been without starting quarterback Jaxson Dart. The rookie signal-caller suffered a concussion during the Week 10 loss in Chicago and has been working his way through the protocol ever since. Dart took a step in the right direction last week as he was able to return to the practice field. He was listed as a limited, non-contact participant for all three practices and was eventually ruled out on Friday. It remains to be seen if the 22-year-old, who upgraded to a full participant in the first practice of the week Wednesday, will return for this week's game.
"Jaxson, he's still in the protocol, but he'll get some work out there today with the group," Kafka told the media before Wednesday's practice. "I'm looking forward to that, just like similar to what he did last week."
Kafka later added, "We're still going through the protocol with him. You know, I don't want to get too far ahead, just kind of take it by today. But, you know, I'm excited for him. If he's able to go and the doctors clear him, then we'll kind of address that when we get there. But right now, you know, just focus on today and have a great practice."
With Dart sidelined, Jameis Winston has started the last two games against the Lions and Packers. The offense did not skip a beat with Winston under center as the unit averaged 23.5 points against two tough defenses. Winston has completed 37 of 65 pass attempts for 567 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions while taking only three sacks. The veteran has also added a touchdown on the ground and an impressive touchdown catch on a trick play.
This past weekend in Detroit, Winston became just the second player since 1960 to throw for 350+ yards, two or more touchdowns and catch a touchdown in a game, joining Matt Ryan (2018). His average of 13.6 air yards per completion was the highest mark in a game since Week 1 of the 2024 season, while his 211 passing yards when pressured were the second-most by any player this year. Winston's performance led to him being nominated for FedEx Air & Ground Player of the Week.
Slowing down Drake Maye
The Patriots finished with a 4-13 record last season, due in part to a bottom 3 offense in both points and yards. New England has made a massive jump in 2025, with the team boasting the league's best record at 10-2 record, the No. 1 seed in the AFC and a top 8 offense in terms of both points and yards. While no one person can take all of the credit for this monumental improvement, a significant reason has been the growth and development of Drake Maye.
Across 13 games (12 starts) as a rookie last year, Maye completed 66.6 percent of his passes for 2,276 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for an 88.1 passer rating. Through the first 12 games of this season, the second-year quarterback leads the NFL with 3,130 passing yards and a 71.0 completion percentage, while his 21 passing touchdowns rank fourth and his 110.7 passer rating is the third-highest in the league. Maye has also added 307 yards and an additional two touchdowns on the ground as he's firmly planted himself in the MVP conversation.
"Drake's been very impressive in year two," said Kafka. "You saw him make that jump. He's operating at a high level. He's creating explosives, things that we saw on tape. And sure, we enjoyed watching him on tape, and he's doing a nice job for them, and I think it's really cool to see him play that well."
Maye has thrown just one touchdown pass in each of the last two games, but this came after a stretch of five consecutive games with multiple touchdown passes. In last week's win over the Bengals, he completed 62.9 percent of his passes for 294 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Maye has also taken only one sack in each of his last three games, but was sacked six times in both Weeks 8 and 9. His 37 sacks taken are the sixth-most in the NFL, and the Patriots will now likely be without their starting left tackle (Will Campbell) and left guard (Jared Wilson) on Monday after both linemen suffered injuries in last week's win.