New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart did not clear concussion protocol this week and will not play for the Giants Sunday in Detroit, interim head coach Mike Kafka confirmed Friday.
That means 11-year veteran quarterback Jameis Winston will start again this week for New York and make his 89th career start.
Dart and Winston are very different quarterbacks in that Dart has the added dynamic running element to his game. He has seven rushing touchdowns on the year and five in his last five starts. Winston is more of the traditional pocket passer.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell, who was with Winston in New Orleans when Campbell was an assistant with the Saints and Winston was the backup quarterback in 2020, said Detroit was preparing for both quarterbacks this week and doesn't think a lot changes in terms of how the Giants want to attack Detroit's defense with Winston now making his second straight start for New York.
"I think the core of what they do, and the pro-style offense itself is not going to change," Campbell said. "And I think even if Dart had played, there wasn't going to be a ton of quarterback run, things of that nature.
"So, I think run game itself, stays intact, I think the pass game – there is some vertical pass game to it. I don't think it changes a ton.
"And look, I know Winston very well, man. This guy, he can put it on a dime. He's not afraid to freaking rip it in there, he's competitive, smart guy. He's going to give (them) a chance. He's played a lot of games, man, won a lot of games."
Winston started last week in New York's loss to Green Bay and was 19-of-29 passing for 201 yards with one interception and a 71.2 passer rating.
LAPORTA UPDATE
Lions Pro Bowl tight end Sam LaPorta, who is currently on injured reserve, had a procedure on the back injury suffered Week 10 in Washington and is unlikely to return this season, Campbell told reporters Friday.
"Sam did have a procedure and he's going to be out for a while," Campbell said. "A while. I think we would be fortunate to have a chance to get him back for the rest of the season, at some point. I think that's very, very slim. Good news is the procedure went really well. Long-term."
LaPorta, 24, was in the middle of another exceptional season for Detroit with 40 catches, 489 yards and three touchdowns and an 81.6 percent catch rate. The Lions will certainly miss his production and will now need their reserve tight ends and their depth at wide receiver to step up.
More will obviously fall on the plate of reserve tight ends Brock Wright, Ross Dwelley, Anthony Firkser and Zach Horton, but receivers Kalif Raymond and rookie Isaac TeSlaa will now be asked to play bigger roles and make up for some of the targets that used to go LaPorta's way.
"We'll still have the ability to get back into our 12 personnel (one running back and two tight ends) packages with some of the guys we have in the building, but it's time for our other guys to start playing more important roles," Lions assistant head coach and wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery said Friday.
WILLIAMS APOLOGY
Jameson Williams apologized to his teammates for the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty he received for his celebration after a 40-yard touchdown last week in Philadelphia that led to a missed extra point in Detroit's 16-9 loss to the Eagles.
"It's something I can control for sure," Williams said. "But I'm just going to move past it. It's a new week, we got a new game, and that's just that."
Williams scored Detroit's only touchdown on a 40-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter and celebrated by jumping on the goalpost in the back of the end zone.
The celebration drew a 15-yard penalty. Jake Bates missed the ensuing extra point wide right from 48 yards in windy conditions on what normally would have been a 33-yarder.
Williams said he didn't know his celebration was a penalty and apologized to Bates, holder Jack Fox and head coach Dan Campbell, who said his simple message to Williams was he loved the touchdown but don't do that celebration again.
The Lions have unlocked Williams' explosiveness the last two weeks with Campbell as the play caller. Williams has 10 receptions for 207 yards and two touchdowns against the Commanders and Eagles.
EXTRA POINTS
- Campbell said he feels good about cornerback D.J. Reed being able to play Sunday and linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez to make his 2025 regular season debut coming off a knee injury last season. Reed hasn't played since hurting his hamstring Week 4. Campbell said edge rusher Marcus Davenport is also close to returning.
- Crazy stat of the week: The Lions are the only team in the NFL without a pass interference called against their opponent this season. Detroit's opponents only had one pass interference called against them in 2024.
- "No, it's interesting," Campbell said. "We've talked about that before, it is interesting. Sometimes I guess that – like (Amon-Ra St. Brown) Saint. Saint's so freaking strong that he can pull himself out of being held pretty good, whereas there's some other guys, if you don't have a lot of strength at one tug, you can really notice it. I do think there's something a little bit that falls into that. As far as everything else, I don't know."
