Giants Week 3 Storylines: Backup QB Plans, Other Injuries, and Brian Daboll's Return

The New York Giants are still reeling from Monday night's unfortunate development: quarterback Jaxson Dart suffered a significant, season-ending left knee injury and has opted to have surgery.

That means Jameis Winston will be the starter for the immediate future, a thought that has the fan base uneasy given Winston’s poor showing while filling in for Dart against the Rams.

But at this point, if the Giants have any trepidation about plugging Winston in as the starter — and why would they, after giving the quarterback a two-year extension — they have no choice but to put their faith in the 12-year veteran.

“Absolute faith in all of our players. That's why all the guys are here,” Harbaugh said when asked about his confidence level in Winston. “Jameis is one of our guys who obviously is here for a reason. He's a very good football player, but that would go for any position, any player on our team.

“They would be the next person; injuries in the National Football League are part of it, and that's true at any position. … You have to find a way to overcome those kinds of things and play through it because guys come back and it's a long season.”

So that’s where things stand right now. Dart avoided tearing his ACL, but he will have season-ending surgery as his PCL and meniscus were reportedly compromised in the injury.

Here is a look at some of the other key storylines ahead of the Giants’ Week 3 game against the Tennessee Titans this weekend.

Who’s It Gonna Be?

Aug 28, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jake Haener (2) drops back to pass during the second half against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With Dart heading to IR, the Giants will need depth at the quarterback position behind Winston.

But who? One option is to sign Jake Haener from the practice squad and then fill the opening with another quarterback.

Or the Giants could go the veteran route, adding someone like Jimmy Garoppolo or Joe Milton III to back up Winston if they don’t feel Haener is ready for that role.

No Time for “Woe is Me”

Injuries in general stink, but when an injury happens to arguably the most important player on the field, it often sucks the oxygen out of the room.

The Giants find themselves in that position given the Dart injury. We’re talking not just their quarterback, but a key leader on the squad and a guy who was as selfless as they come when it comes to putting his well-being on the line.

That’s not to say that the team won’t rally around Winston, who, as a backup quarterback, is also in the rare position of being a part of the team’s leadership council. But it can still be a psychological challenge.

Sep 13, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh looks on during the fourth quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Head coach John Harbaugh, who has been down this road before, is determined not to let that happen.

“If you get punched in the gut, are you going down? Are you going down? Are you going to crumple to the ground, as Jack Harbaugh would say, like a sack of sour apples, and fall to the ground and rot away and wither away into the dust? Is that what you're going to do?” he said.

“We’ve got a game to play. We’ve got a really good football team. We’ve got a football team that's going to be way better than it is right now. And that's what we're going to be attacking.”

How Will They Rebound?

The Giants were outclassed in every way by the Rams on Monday night. And if they want to keep their postseason hopes alive, they know they have to be a lot better starting this weekend.

“We haven't even come close to playing as well as we're capable of playing as a football team. So, that's really going to be the focus,” he said.

“You have to deal with all the different challenges that you face and all the different adversity that you face, for sure. And even the prosperity — you learned that last week, you faced some of the prosperity, and prosperity sometimes can be more dangerous than adversity.

“All these challenges are to put your best effort out there, play your best football so that you can win a football game. And we're going to do that.”

The Other Injuries

Sep 13, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants offensive tackle Andrew Thomas (78) runs onto the field prior to the game against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Dart injury is without question the big storyline of the week, but let’s not forget the others who were banged up in the loss to the Rams.

Receiver Malik Nabers is dealing with a shoulder issue. He said the trainers were able to pop his shoulder back into place, which let him return to the game, but how big of a concern is that moving forward? Moreover, will the injury limit his arm's range of motion to the point where his game suffers?

Left tackle Andrew Thomas, who is coming off one of his worst games in recent years, is dealing with a groin injury. If he can’t work this week, look for Marcus Mbow to step in at left tackle.

Outside linebacker Brian Burns is dealing with a sprained ankle, which fortunately is not a high ankle sprain.

While the Giants have depth at outside linebacker, if Burns has to sit this coming game out, they are still a better team with him than without.

The Giants also missed cornerback Deonte Banks last week against the Rams. Will Banks, who has been nursing a calf injury, be back this week?

Are there any other injuries from the game that we don’t yet know about that could cause concern? Chances are there could be. Remember, the Giants are on a short work week, which could factor into the workload the injured guys get and, in some cases, who ends up available.

Each injury that pops up tests the strength of the Giants' roster depth.

Return of the “Giants”

Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Brian Daboll | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Under normal circumstances, the main storyline this week would have been the return of former Giants head coach Brian Daboll, and former Giants Wan’Dale Robinson, Cor’Dale Flott, Daniel Bellinger, and Austin Schlottmann to their old MetLife Stadium stomping grounds.

While it’s not a main storyline, it does make the list. The Titans are 0-2, having lost to the Jets and Eagles. Daboll, now the Titans' offensive coordinator, would undoubtedly find great satisfaction in putting together a game plan that knocks his former team on its rump and gets the Titans into the win column.

Can he parlay his knowledge of the former players he coached who will be in this week’s game to the Titans’ advantage?

Finding the Pass Rush

New York Giants linebacker Abdul Carter | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Another storyline that has gotten lost in the first two weeks of the season is the sluggish start of the Giants’ “vaunted” pass rush.

The Giants have one sack, putting them 31st in the league, just ahead of the Dolphins, who have yet to record a sack this season.

That’s a far cry from the Raiders, Vikings, and Bengals, who are all tied for the league lead with eight sacks each through two games.

And per PFF data, the Giants have just 17 pressures for a 24.3% quarterback pressure rate, dead last in the league.

Coaches will say sacks come in bunches, and we have seen that in recent years. But with the stakes now even higher for the Giants, they sure could use their pass rush to snap out of this early-season funk and start making life miserable for opposing quarterbacks.

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