Lions head coach Dan Campbell recently addressed developments in the New York Giants’ QB room, particularly with Jameis Winston stepping in after rookie Jaxson Dart was ruled out. Dart remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol, and as a result, Winston received the nod for the upcoming game.

Campbell made it clear that he is very familiar with Winston — they were teammates in New Orleans, and Campbell praised Winston’s competitiveness, football IQ, and willingness to “rip it in there” when the moment demands. He emphasized that Winston has considerable experience, noting his many starts and victories.

Despite the change at quarterback, Campbell doesn’t expect a significant shift in how the Giants operate offensively. He believes their “core” — especially the pro-style structure — will remain mostly the same, even without Dart. He also mentioned that even if Dart had played, the Giants likely wouldn’t have leaned heavily into quarterback runs, so he sees their ground game continuing in familiar fashion.

In addition, Campbell revealed that Detroit’s coaching staff had planned for both quarterbacks. They prepared for Winston and Dart, but Campbell said they had a hunch Winston would be under center, and that proved correct.

Finally, Campbell noted that under their interim head coach Mike Kafka, the Giants have shown a “fresh energy” since Brian Daboll was fired. He suggested that sometimes a change in leadership can spark a team, and the Lions believe that could be happening in New York.