Fewer Quarterback Runs, More Deep Shots: What Changes With Jameis Winston

Midway through training camp, Matt Nagy said the Giants had only installed about half their offense. It sounded alarming at the time. By the end, lineman Jon Runyan says, they had close to 300 plays in, and now that extra work matters.

Nagy's idea was to be ready for more than one style of offense so an injury wouldn't wipe out the plan. With Jaxson Dart gone for the regular season, John Harbaugh described the switch to Jameis Winston as a lane change rather than a new direction.

What goes away

Mostly, quarterback runs. Dart ran for 54 yards in the opening win over Dallas. Winston, 32, has two carries for one yard this season, both while running from a sack. Runyan said a lot of the Dart-specific runs are out and called Winston a gunslinger. Harbaugh's version: Winston is a big, strong passer, and you build around what he does well.

What gets more

The running backs, first. Cam Skattebo already gets 67% of the backfield carries, ahead of Devin Singletary, Najee Harris and Tyrone Tracy Jr., and Nagy wants fullback Patrick Ricard on the field more too. Skattebo had 16 touches against the Rams and said he doesn't see it as having to do more; he gets to do more.

Then the deep ball. Winston's 9.9 air yards per target is the highest of any quarterback since he entered the league in 2014, which bodes well for Malik Nabers and Darnell Mooney. Tight end Isaiah Likely, Dart's favorite target, could see less: tight ends got 24% of targets with Dart, compared with 19% across Winston's career.

Winston stayed on the field after Thursday's practice throwing to his receivers, Nabers included. Nabers said Winston trusts them to make plays, and he intends to.