New England Patriots
New York’s rookie quarterback has missed the team’s last two games while in concussion protocol.
The Patriots are set to face the No. 25 pick from this year’s NFL Draft in primetime Monday night.
Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, who was in the league’s concussion protocol and sat out his team’s last two games, was cleared to return to play Thursday. Had Dart not cleared concussion protocol, New England likely would have faced New York’s backup, Jameis Winston.
Dart, 22, has a 2-5 record since becoming the Giants’ starting quarterback in Week 4. Russell Wilson began the season as New York’s QB1, but after a rough 0-3 start, the Giants opted to hand over the keys to their rookie.
Neither Dart nor the Giants have won a game since Oct. 9, a 34-17 victory against the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles. Things have gone so poorly since that win that the organization fired head coach Brian Daboll on Nov. 10, replacing him with offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.
Winston and New York lost each of the two games in Dart’s absence.
Dart has shown flashes of his potential in his brief rookie season. He’s a dual-threat QB who has proven tough by way of his aggressive playing style. Dart has been evaluated for a concussion several times since becoming the starter because he has taken numerous big hits.
He’s thrown 10 touchdowns and rushed for seven of his own, and has thrown only three interceptions in seven starts. Dart has thrown for 1,417 yards and rushed for 317; his longest run (24 yards) resulted in a touchdown and occurred in his last start: Week 10 against the Bears.
His playmaking ability has given Giants fans a sense of hope, but his full potential hasn’t been put on display yet due to key offensive injuries. Wide receiver Malik Nabers tore his ACL in the same game Dart made his QB1 debut, and running back Cam Skattebo dislocated and severely sprained his ankle, plus fractured his fibula on a gnarly hit a month later.
Without these top weapons at his disposal, and while already playing under multiple head coaches in two months, it’s difficult to accurately judge Dart’s play.
Nevertheless, a healthy Dart is poised to make his return in an exciting matchup between two electric, young QBs in himself and Drake Maye. While New York hasn’t yet reaped the benefits from their young signal-caller in terms of wins (while New England certainly has), Monday’s contest should be a fun one if Dart is indeed ready to play.
On top of that, the Patriots will look to win their 10th straight game while the Giants hope to snap their six-game losing skid.
Kickoff at Gillette Stadium is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. Eastern Time Monday.
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