Jaxson Dart (concussion) to start Giants’ MNF game vs. Pats

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — Jackson Dart is apparently back as the starting quarterback for the New York Giants. Interim coach Mike Kafka said Friday, and he will take all first-team reps this week to prepare for the New England Patriots on “Monday Night Football.”

The Giants announced on Thursday that Dart had officially cleared the concussion protocol. He missed the last two games after starting in place of Jameis Winston.

“I’m ready. I’ve been waiting for this,” Dart said after Friday’s practice. “Obviously these primetime games are what you’ve got on your calendar. I’m excited to go out there, compete at a high level and do everything in my power to rally these guys to put our team in the best position when the clock hits zero that we’re going to come out with a win.”

New York (2-10) has lost six straight games. Meanwhile, the Patriots (10-2) have won nine in a row.

The Giants will try to break a franchise-record 12-game road skid with their rookie quarterback behind center.

Kafka said, “It’s great to have him back in the mix.” “He’s preparing.”

Dart came close to a comeback last week. He thought he could play, but doctors thought otherwise. The first-round pick did not clear concussion protocol.

Now, he returns knowing that he has to be more judicious about the hits he takes. Dart is taking about 10 hits per game.

Even though Dart thought he had played better than the game in which he suffered the injury on November 9 in Chicago, it was the fourth time in the eight games prior to the preseason that he needed to be evaluated for an injury. This is equivalent to being out of the field.

“Moving forward, I have to be more available to this team,” Dart said. “It’s obviously at the forefront of my mind moving forward.”

Dart objected to the idea that his head was being examined during all those trauma tests. He said that it is not so. He said some of the previous tests were prompted by other possible warning signs, such as the person being short of breath or a sting, rather than a direct hit to the head.

The bottom line is that Dart still had to forfeit the game in all four situations. And an actual injury caused him to miss two games during his rookie season.

“I’m still getting used to this game. I’m getting used to this speed, this level,” Dart said. “In college, you can watch my tape, I very rarely slipped up. It’s a different animal. For me, I obviously have to be more responsible when I’m in the open field. But I felt like I was getting better at it every week.”

Dart didn’t get any hits in the Chicago matchup that he should have avoided. He thought he was playing smart because former coach Brian Daboll and the Giants had scored six designed runs in that contest. But the darts slipped twice and he thought that the blow which caused him injury was not one which he could have entirely avoided.

Dart praised the Giants medical staff despite returning to compete for two more games following the injury. At last they pulled him into the middle.

“I wasn’t in a good place to be there,” Dart said.

The Darts will play their first game without Daboll, who was fired on November 10. He began his first press conference since the injury with an opening statement about his former head coach.

Daboll and Dart were considered to have a strong relationship on and off the field.

Dart said, “I have all the respect for him in the world. He’s an incredible offensive mind. He’s done an amazing job developing me to where I am, and you know, this business is a beast.” “Hats off to Coach Shane (Bowen) as well. We didn’t get enough wins for him. But at the same time, got a lot of respect for him.

“And Coach (Daboll), who knows I’d be here without him. So I have total respect and love for him.”