Coming off a close victory over the Cincinnati Bengals last week, the New England Patriots are set for primetime against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football, hoping to extend their current win streak even further before finally getting their bye week.
On the surface, based on the dysfunction the Giants have dealt with this season, most have the Patriots winning and walking away with an 11-2 record. However, they nearly beat the Lions last week in a game that went into overtime, with QB Jameis Winston throwing for nearly 400 yards and two touchdowns in Detroit.
It looked like that could be a problem for New England's defense, but they might run into bigger trouble now that rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart has cleared concussion protocol and will be the starter on Monday Night.
Giants HC Mike Kafka confirmed Jaxson Dart will start Monday night vs. the Patriots.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 28, 2025
He was a force during their preseason matchup in August, and although the Giants' record isn't too impressive since he became the starter in Week 4, Dart has been an explosive player to watch this season, and the Patriots will have to properly prepare for that now.
Jaxson Dart gives the Giants an edge against the Patriots this week
Since making his NFL debut against the Chargers, Dart has led the Giants to a 2-5 record but has shown many traits of a future franchise quarterback for a desperate New York team.
That doesn't bode well for a Patriots' defense that is already down Milton Williams, their best run defender and 1-2 punch pass rusher alongside Christian Barmore. He's not a turnover machine the way Winston is, so that is another part of his game that they won't be able to rely on.
Then there's the list of defensive players dealing with injuries, many of whom just returned to practice on Friday or were present but limited. They're going to need all the help they can possibly have on the field on Monday, or a young and hungry quarterback will run all over them.
It will be a good test for some of the quarterbacks still on the docket to end the season, like Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, so seeing how they fare against another mobile player like Dart will be useful. But it would be much better to go into the bye week with another win, especially at home, and showing they can slow him down will be crucial to winning more games the rest of the way.
Dart is not as much of a thrower as Winston, which can also work in their favor, so they'll have to take advantage of that. Otherwise, his mobility and impressive instincts could wreck the day, and the Giants could leave Foxboro with just their third win of the season.