New York Giants' offense about to 'shift' with Jameis Winston

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- It was several weeks into training camp for the New York Giants when offensive coordinator Matt Nagy mentioned that only half the team's plays were installed. At the time it seemed disconcerting, but it makes sense considering the Giants eventually practiced and installed close to 300 plays, according to offensive lineman Jon Runyan. All that extensive work is poised to pay off. The offense greenlit by new coach John Harbaugh isn't only Jaxson Dart-specific. "Probably the biggest thing is -- one of the things with this offense when we first got started is we wanted to be able to be prepared to have multiple styles of offense," Nagy said. "And so, if something like this does happen, it doesn't put you in a hole where it changes everything." The Giants' offense was starting to take shape with Dart as the quarterback before he suffered a knee injury in Week 2 and was placed on IR. His legs and ability to run were a big part of the run game. He had 54 yards in an impressive season-opening win over the Dallas Cowboys. Backup QB Jameis Winston had two rushes for one yard in a Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Rams and that came trying to escape a sack. "All those plays are plays that we have, that we've been practicing and running, it's just kind of more like a shift maybe over a little bit as opposed to ... maybe a lane change as opposed to changing direction or anything like that," Harbaugh said. "More of a lane change." The most notable change with Winston at quarterback will be the lack of QB runs. Winston, 32, isn't anywhere near the same threat as a runner as Dart. The run-pass options are unlikely to be as big a piece of the Giants' offense. "We did have a lot more Jaxson-driven-type quarterback runs," Runyan said. "It wasn't necessarily something that we were going to major in like we kind of did last year most of the time. So, unfortunately, a lot of that is out. I mean, could be here and there. "Jameis is a gunslinger, obviously. So we're going to run our offense from a run point how I expect we have been through those two games. From a [quarterback] standpoint, I mean a little bit different. I don't think he's going to get the option to run a lot, but you never know." Harbaugh has insisted since he arrived that the Giants are going to be a big, physical team. That is what they want to be. They are expected to continue to establish the power run game, try to make it effective and then take shots downfield. This is where it could work with Winston. "Well, he can throw it," Harbaugh said. "I mean, he's a big, strong, passing quarterback. He can throw the ball. Everybody that follows football has certainly seen Jameis play, and his strengths are evident. So that's what you build around." It all bodes well for the Giants' running backs. They are now the focus of the Winston-led offense, beginning with starter Cam Skattebo. He has definitively become the team's No. 1 option while handling 67% of the running back carries the first two weeks. The running back pecking order also appears to have taken shape. It's Skattebo followed by Devin Singletary, then Najee Harris and Tyrone Tracy Jr. Expect to see more Skattebo and fullback Patrick Ricard moving forward. "[Ricard] needs to play more. He's a great weapon for us," Nagy said. "Sometimes when you get into these games, whether it's a certain package that you have, none of it's intentional. Some of it just kind of happens. "It's the same thing, too, with [Skattebo] down inside in the red zone there with carrying the football and stuff." This works for Skattebo. He had 16 touches Monday night in the 28-6 loss to the Rams and felt good physically coming out of the game. He's open to a bigger workload and more responsibility on his shoulders. "I don't look at it as I need to do more," Skattebo said. "It's I get to do more." The tight end position could also get affected with Winston at quarterback. Isaiah Likely had quickly become Dart's go-to receiver and security blanket. He caught a team-high eight passes on eight targets in the opener, including a pair on third down on the game-ending drive. It looked to be continuing with a third-down catch on the opening drive against the Rams. Likely's targets seem destined to dip with Winston. Tight ends had a target rate of 24% with Dart as the quarterback since he entered the league last season. Winston has targeted the tight end on 19% of his passes over the course of his career. "My job remains the same," said Likely, who noted the routes he runs won't change. "Just make the quarterback's life as easy as possible is really my main focus." Likely will have to develop chemistry with Winston. He and star wide receiver Malik Nabers spent the entire summer working with Dart to get on the same page. They didn't work at all with Winston. It's no wonder that Winston was on the field after practice Thursday getting in extra work with many of his receivers. Among those out there -- Nabers. The Giants' No. 1 receiver should be a beneficiary of Winston's desire to push the ball downfield. Speedy wide receiver Darnell Mooney, too. Winston's 9.9 air yards per target is the most by any quarterback since he entered the league as the No. 1 pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2014. "I mean, he believes in his receivers to go make the plays for him. And we plan out to do that," Nabers said. "And when the opportunity comes, you've just got to go ahead and snatch the opportunity. The fact that he gives us opportunity, that means he believes in the good work that you put in in practice. He believes that you're going to make the play for him, and I trust that he trusts me. So we'll make the play."