Daniel Jones delivers inspiring encore in 24-3 win over Washington
East Rutherford, N.J. -- For the first time since MetLife Stadium opened in 2010, the Giants quarterback under center was not Eli Manning.
And not only did the Giants survive such a high-profiled change, but Daniel Jones, the young signal-caller who was hand-picked by the team's brass to succeed the man who currently holds every franchise passing record, showed once again what makes him so special.
"I mean, Daniel [Jones] is a great player for us; he gives us the chances that we need," said left guard Will Hernandez. "He extends plays and makes life on the blocking line a little easier."
Jones did all that, completing 23 of 31 pass attempts for 225 yards and one touchdown and running for 33 yards on five carries.
But this week he also did something that truly defined what kind of quarterback he is.
He didn't back down from the adversity ensuing from throwing two interceptions on back-to-back drives.
The leader of the "Dan Wagon" simply picked himself--and his team-- up and never lost sight of the big picture.
"I first wanted to see what happened," Jones said when asked about his initial reaction after his interceptions.
"Obviously, two mistakes that you can’t have, and costly ones. Luckily, our defense stepped up and we were able to hold them off. Two things you learn from. I was just trying to focus on the next play. Look at it, learn from it, but get back to the next play."
And what he learned was that he was responsible for the two mistakes, the first occurring when he didn't see the defender coming off a receiver to make a play on the ball and the second being a poor throw for which Jones took full responsibility.
But make no mistake, the resiliency and the calming presence displayed by this 22-year-old rookie who plays like he's a multiyear veteran is an intangible that perhaps the Giants opponents across the field this weekend wished they saw more of from their rookie quarterback.
"I think once one player steps up, it’s kind of a snowball effect," Hernandez said. "I think it makes the line better because we start blocking better, receivers have more time to get open, quarterbacks can make better throws, and it is just kind of a chain reaction."
"A lot of people doubted him--he heard it all, and we definitely heard it all," said tight end Evan Engram, who caught four passes for 54 yards this week.
"'I don’t think it affected him. I think it pissed me off more than him. He just comes in and is being himself. He’s making plays. He’s trying to improve, and he’s definitely bringing great energy to our offense and to our team."
Jones also inspired faith with his performance, according to Hernandez.
"We just simply believe that he is going to fix it; he knows what he has to do," he said.
And he's done it now twice to get his team to a 2-2 record that many preseason critics doubted possible.
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