Winston, Giants struggle in relief role after Dart knee injury vs. Rams

Jameis Winston completed 11 of 27 passes for 111 yards in a 28-6 loss after Jaxson Dart left with a left knee injury.

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart injured his left knee at the conclusion of the game's first drive Monday night and was replaced by Jameis Winston beginning with the offense's second series. The Giants lost to the Los Angeles Rams 28-6 at SoFi Stadium.

Winston completed 11 of 27 passes for 111 yards with one interception and a 37.7 passer rating, and no drive he led gained more than 50 yards. Afterward, he pointed to the scoreboard when explaining the offense's difficulties, saying the Rams "got ahead, so they knew pass was coming" and that passing became "very challenging" once Los Angeles built its lead.

The pass protection faltered early, with the Rams pressuring New York on 10 of 18 first-half dropbacks even while the Giants trailed by no more than 14 points. Winston went 4-of-12 for 58 yards before halftime, and a deep throw intended for Malik Nabers was picked off by Trent McDuffie with 6:11 remaining in the second quarter.

The ground game also faded after a 165-yard rushing performance against Dallas in Week 1, with Cam Skattebo leading the team against Los Angeles with 36 yards on 12 carries. Across the full game, both Dart and Winston were pressured on more than 58% of their dropbacks.

Dart was hit by Josaiah Stewart and Byron Young while throwing a third-down deep pass, walked to the locker room without assistance and was ruled out at halftime. Sources told SNY the early indication is a sprained MCL with the ACL intact, an MRI was set for Tuesday, and head coach John Harbaugh said avoiding a devastating outcome was "really good news."