What are the New York Giants talking about ahead of their Week 12 matchup at Ford Field against the Detroit Lions Sunday afternoon? Both teams are coming off a loss Week 11 and looking to get back on track.
1. Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart returned to practice Wednesday after missing last week's loss to Green Bay with a concussion. Dart remains in protocol, but interim head coach Mike Kafka said Wednesday he believes there's enough time in the week to get Dart cleared for Sunday's game in Detroit. New York doesn't want to compromise Dart's fearlessness as a runner, but they must find the balance to keep their quarterback healthy.
"I think that's the fine line," interim head coach Mike Kafka told giants.com this week. "Jaxson, going through the whole draft process with him and understanding what kind of player he is, he's an aggressive player. That's what we love about him.
"But obviously you want to show him some examples he can learn from. He's going through that now. I think he'll continue to grow from those things. You don't want to put a player like that in a box. Obviously, you want to give him the examples he can improve on, and I think he'll take that to the bank."
Dart has rushed for 317 yards with a 5.6-yard average and has seven rushing touchdowns on the season.
View photos of the starters for the New York Giants.
Interim Head Coach: Mike Kafka
Offensive Coordinator: Tim Kelly
Defensive Coordinator: Shane Bowen
Special Teams Coordinator: Michael Ghobrial
(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
WR Wan'Dale Robinson
Backed up by Gunner Olszewski
(AP Photo/Kevin Sabitus)
TE Daniel Bellinger
Backed up by Thomas Fidone II
(AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski)
RT Jermaine Eluemunor
Backed up by Marcus Mbow
(AP Photo/Cooper Neill)
RG Greg Van Roten
Backed up by Evan Neal
(AP Photo/Cooper Neill)
C John Michael Schmitz Jr.
Backed up by Austin Schlottmann
(AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman)
LG Jon Runyan
Backed up by Aaron Stinnie
(AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
LT Andrew Thomas
Backed up by James Hudson III
(AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr.
Backed up by Devin Singletary
(AP Photo/Kevin Sabitus)
WR Darius Slayton
Backed up by Jalin Hyatt
(AP Photo/Logan Bowles)
TE Theo Johnson
Backed up by Chris Manhertz
(AP Photo/Peter Joneleit)
QB Jaxson Dart
Backed up by Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson
(AP Photo/Rusty Jones)
DE Kayvon Thibodeaux
Backed up by Chauncey Golston and Victor Dimukeje
(AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
NT Dexter Lawrence II
Backed up by D.J. Davidson
(AP Photo/Aaron M. Sprecher)
DT Rakeem Nuñez-Roches Sr.
Backed up by Roy Robertson-Harris and Darius Alexander
(AP Photo/Cooper Neill)
OLB Brian Burns
Backed up by Abdul Carter
(AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
ILB Bobby Okereke
Backed up by Zaire Barnes
(AP Photo/Margaret Bowles)
ILB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
Backed up by Neville Hewitt
(AP Photo/Peter Joneleit)
NICKEL Dru Phillips
Backed up by Nic Jones
(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
CB Paulson Adebo
Backed up by Jarrick Bernard-Converse and Rico Payton
(AP Photo/Logan Bowles)
S Tyler Nubin
Backed up by Dane Belton
(AP Photo/Cooper Neill)
S Jevón Holland
Backed up by Beau Brade
(AP Photo/Aaron M. Sprecher)
CB Cor'Dale Flott
Backed up by Deonte Banks and Korie Black
(AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
LS Casey Kreiter
(AP Photo/Cooper Neill)
H/P Jamie Gillan
(AP Photo/G. Newman Lowrance)
PR Gunner Olszewski
Backed up by Wan'Dale Robinson
(AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
KOR Gunner Olszewski
Backed up by Deonte Banks
(AP Photo/Butch Dill)
K Graham Gano
(AP Photo/Cooper Neill)
2. Detroit's been one of the gold standards in the NFL in terms of offensive line play over the last few years. Giants offensive tackle Andrew Thomas was asked this week about Detroit's line and if he feels this New York offensive line is playing its best football since Thomas has been in New York starting in 2020.
"Obviously credit to those guys, they've been good upfront for a while," Thomas said of Detroit. "Part of that goes to what I was talking about earlier, just winning early downs and running the ball really well and that makes the play action go and the pass protection. I think we're playing well but you can never be complacent."
3. New York rushed for 142 yards and three touchdowns against a very good Green Bay run defense in last week's 27-20 loss to Packers. Kafka said he has a lot of confidence in the offensive line and the run game right now. That could be a big part of the game plan for New York Sunday in Detroit. The Lions have the league's eighth ranked run defense and are one of just eight defenses this season allowing on average less than 100 yards on the ground per contest.
"It's a testament to everybody and the will to be physical upfront and run the ball well," Thomas said of the current production of New York's No. 10 ranked rushing offense (124.7 yards per game).
4. The Giants changed up their schedule this week, giving the players Monday off instead of Tuesday. Kafka said it gives the coaches a little more time on the front end of the week to get ahead of game planning for the Lions and it takes a little bit of the emotion out of the game review with the players. New York heads into Sunday's matchup with four straight days of preparation for Detroit instead of the normal three.
Running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. said he thought the film review was better doing it Tuesday vs. Monday, and it allowed them to watch it with more of a 'clear lens' vs. the immediacy and emotion of watching it Monday.
View photos from wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown's My Cause My Cleats shoe design competition with Shoe Club students.
East Jordan Shoe Club Founder Matt Hamilton speaks to students before a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Shoe Club students during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Brooklyn Adams of the St. Brown Foundation looks at a design with a student during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Shoe Club students work on their designs during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Shoe Club students work on their designs during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Shoe Club students work on their designs during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Shoe Club students work on their designs during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Shoe Club students work on their designs during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Shoe Club students work on their designs during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Shoe Club students work on their designs during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Shoe Club students work on their designs during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Shoe Club students work on their designs during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) greets students during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) greets students during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) meets with each design group during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) meets with each design group during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) meets with each design group during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) meets with each design group during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) meets with each design group during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Brooklyn Adams of the St. Brown Foundation and Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) review shoe designs submitted by students during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) announces the winning design during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) announces the winning design during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Students during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Students during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) announces the winning design during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) announces the winning design during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Students during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) takes a photo with students of the East Jordan Shoe Club during a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) signs a jersey for East Jordan Shoe Club Founder Matt Hamilton after a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Students of the East Jordan Shoe Club tour the practice field following a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Students of the East Jordan Shoe Club tour the practice field following a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Students of the East Jordan Shoe Club tour the practice field following a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Students of the East Jordan Shoe Club tour the practice field following a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Students of the East Jordan Shoe Club tour the practice field following a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Students of the East Jordan Shoe Club tour the practice field following a shoe design competition event at the Meijer Performance Center on Sept. 27, 2025 in Allen Park, Mich. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
5. What challenge does Detroit's defensive front present Sunday? Thomas talked first about Detroit's play style upfront being very physical. He said Detroit's interior defenders do a good job pushing the pocket, and that gives their talented edges, like Aidan Hutchinson, more room to get after the quarterback if he can't step up because of interior push. He said it will be important Sunday to identify Detroit's front and match Detroit's physicality. He said third down will be key for them.
6. Kafka said Wednesday's installation of the first- and second-down offense was going to be critical this week given the expected noise level and atmosphere at Ford Field and how that can affect communication.
