The Green Bay Packers are badly in need of a stabilizing win, one that quiets the noise around head coach Matt LaFleur and quarterback Jordan Love. After an incredible start to the 2025 season, the franchise has now lost back-to-back games in which the opposing teams scored a total of 26 combined points. This makes Sunday's matchup against the New York Giants incredibly important for the Packer offense to send a message and steady a season that is suddenly in question.
A task that has grown just a bit more difficult with ESPN's Adam Schefter reporting a quarterback change in New York. The Giants have demoted Russell Wilson to the third quarterback role, elevating Jameis Winston into the primary backup spot, putting Winston next in line to start against the Packers if rookie starter Jaxson Dart is unable to play. Dart is in concussion protocol, leaving his status very up in the air and opening the door for a start against a familiar foe.
It is far from a hot take to point out that the Packers would be better off playing the ghost of Wilson than a motivated Winston. While the quarterback's turnover tendencies have relegated him to a backup role, there is no denying the talent. It seems that at least 2-3 times a year, Winston finds his way into a starting lineup and lights up the scoreboard. Green Bay now should have a slight fear that this could happen in a Week 11 game; they simply cannot afford to lose.
The Packers Still Don't Know Which Giants QB They Will Face on Sunday
Dart returning or Wilson being the backup are both more enticing situations for an accomplished Green Bay defense. While Dart is extremely talented, there is a tendency to make rookie mistakes, and more than once this season, the team has collapsed in the final quarter with the rookie in the lineup.
Winston is a completely different story, owning an impressive resume against the Packers in his career. The quarterback has made three appearances against Green Bay, two of which came at Lambeau Field, and has a 123.3 passer rating and 7 touchdowns to zero interceptions.
This includes a 5-touchdown performance back in the 2021 season when Jameis was starting with the New Orleans Saints. There is a level of unpredictability that the quarterback brings based on the trust he has in his arm when it comes to attacking any defense. You know the ball is going to be pushed down the field, and your secondary will be consistently tested anytime the signal caller gets a chance to step into the lineup.
For the Giants, this is all more likely when you consider the need to protect Dart and the fact that they are far out of any playoff conversations. Winston would be taking the field with nothing to lose, encouraging the quarterback to go out and let it fly if he were to get the start on Sunday, which makes him a dangerous player to face.
This should leave some level of angst for Green Bay fans who should hope that Dart can return and keep the veteran out of the lineup. Dart's return would far better set up the Packers for a get-right game against a team that has just made a head coaching change and has every reason to believe the season is another lost year.