Not even two games into the regular season, New York Giants fans are getting the full-on Jameis Winston experience whether they like it or not.
After losing Jaxson Dart to a season-ending injury, the Giants have been riding with the veteran Winston, whom they signed to a two-year, $13 million extension before the start of the regular season.
While losing Dart for the remainder of the year initially set Big Blue back from their 2026 expectations, Winston has a good thing going for the Giants, especially after this latest power ranking among NFL quarterbacks.
Giants' Jameis Winston quietly becoming an average NFL quarteback
In an NFL.com article, Nick Shook ranked Winston as the 16th-best quarterback across the league, putting him ahead of the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Kyler Murray, Sam Darnold, Bo Nix, and even Jalen Hurts.
Winston stepped in for Dart in Week 2, when the starter went down against the Los Angeles Rams. He struggled initially and looked like he had lost the arm strength that helped him succeed earlier in his career. Shook's rankings reflected those struggles, as he placed Winston dead last in his Week 4 list.
In four starts this season, Winston has 805 passing yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions while completing over 60% of his passes. While those stats may have been overshadowed by the 32-year-old's rough starts and mental mistakes this season, he's been everything the Giants could have hoped for. Especially after losing Dart for the year.
Winston has especially hit his groove over the last couple of weeks. He was the worst quarterback in the NFL in Weeks 2 and 3 in terms of EPA per play. In Weeks 4 and 5, though, he ranked ninth in that category.
So, what caused the sudden improvement? Winston has leaned more on Malik Nabers and Isaiah Likely, putting them in positions to make plays. The two pass-catchers combined for a 63.5% target share in Week 5.
Giants' Jameis Winston is rewarding John Harbaugh's trust in him
John Harbaugh has made it clear since Dart's injury that they're ready to lean on Winston for the rest of the year, hoping to get New York back in the postseason and even clinch an NFC East title for the first time since winning Super Bowl XLVI.
Even after Big Blue acquired former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings, whom the Giants are looking to get involved in their offense, they have stuck with Winston.
While the Jameis Winston experience has been anything but smooth ever since he entered the NFL in 2015, for now at least, the Giants can enjoy this version of the former first overall pick.
Winston's next test will be this Sunday when he and the Giants take on the New Orleans Saints in front of the MetLife Stadium crowd, looking to maintain their NFC East lead and remain perfect at home.
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