The new-look New York Giants are exciting a lot of people, including some on their own roster.
It’s been a rough decade-plus for the Giants. Since winning Super Bowl XLVI, they have had just two seasons finishing above .500, and after a surprise visit to the playoffs in 2022, they’ve since gone 13-38.
But after seemingly finding the quarterback in Jaxson Dart and bringing in veteran head coach John Harbaugh, fans can only hope that one of the darkest eras in franchise history, one that closely mimics a playoff drought from 1964 to 1980, is in the rearview mirror.
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Jameis Winston certainly believes so.
The longtime veteran figured to only take snaps for the G-Men barring an injury to the young phenom in Dart, but at the very least, he is surely entertained by his play.
“It’s exciting, man. Every time I’m in the meeting room with him and watching some of his clips from last year, it kind of reminds me of myself, because he’s tough, he’s fearless, and he has this aura about him that allows everybody on our team to get behind him and support him. It’s pretty cool,” Winston said of Dart to Fox News Digital.
“When I was coming into the league young, everything was more traditional. To see him running the way that he runs and being as decisive in the passing game as he is, it really shows how the evolution of football has changed. … Jaxson is just electric, and that’s what fans want to see. Fans are tired of seeing boring quarterback play. Even though some of that correlates to winning, when you’re able to do both, it really elevates the organization and your football team.”
To get the most out of Dart, the Giants brought in John Harbaugh to be their next head coach. They fired Brian Daboll during the season, and after 18 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, Harbaugh was suddenly available, and the Giants didn’t let him slip through their fingers.
For Winston, the coaching offseason was as much of a kick-back-and-relax situation as there could be.
“I was looking at what coach Mike Tomlin was going to do, what coach John Harbaugh was going to do, I got a chance to play for Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland, and I know how passionate the AFC North is, so I knew we were going to be in good hands regardless,” Winston said.
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And Winston sure knows his Giants history.
“I’ve always admired Coach Harbaugh. When you look at the New York Giants’ history, they’ve won with head coaches who facilitated great coaches around them — strong leaders with an old-school mentality. Bill Parcells is old school of the old school — he created a mold for NFL head coaches. Tom Coughlin is as old school as it gets, the epitome of a great leader. That’s what I wanted.”
“I was so happy when we hired John Harbaugh,” he added. “I was excited because I felt like he gets it. He understands empowering players and coaches. Having someone who understands the importance of building the best possible team — coaching staff, players, personnel — is exciting. I’m happy that John brought his mojo to the New York Giants. We’re going to rock with him, fight for him, and win some football games — that’s the most important thing.”
So how far can the Dart-Harbaugh tandem take this team?
“We can win the Super Bowl. We can be in L.A. playing for Super Bowl LXI. That’s the minimum, that’s what we’re aiming for,” Winston said.
“But that comes with elite preparation, consistent day-in and day-out dedication, hard work, and patience. It doesn’t happen in just one day, but what you do each day adds up to the outcome we want. I’m very happy with the approach we’ve had. But we’re going to win the Super Bowl. I hope you don’t take that as counting my chickens before they hatch, but what else should I say? I want us to win a Super Bowl, and we can do it.”
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