Daniel Jones Focused on Giants' Unfinished Business
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There has been a lot of criticism about New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones throughout his career. Still, one by one, Jones has turned his critics into believers, most recently by leading the Giants to the playoffs, where they toppled the third-seeded Minnesota Vikings.
This weekend, he'll try to lead his team again to a victory against the top-seeded Philadelphia Eagles in Philadelphia, a team the Giants lost to twice this season and a place where they haven't won a game since October 2013.
But the always unflappable Jones, who has put on a clinic when it's come to blocking out the noise about him and the team, continued to show that laser-like focus that has been on display in the game after game this year, where his decision-making and leadership have unquestionably developed by leaps and bounds.
“Yeah, it’s a great opportunity for us to still be playing. This is where you want to be, playing these big games. It’s an awesome opportunity for us, but as far as our approach and our preparation, it’s going to be consistent with what we’ve done all year. We know that’s how we prepare to play our best on Saturday.”
Jones and his teammates, many of whom never went to the NFL playoffs before last weekend's Wild Card game, now have some experience in that area under their belts. And the fourth-year quarterback was virtually perfect against the Vikings, throwing for 301 yards and two touchdowns while also adding 78 rushing yards on 17 carries to become the first player in NFL history with 300+ passing yards, 2+ passing touchdowns, and 70+ rushing yards in a postseason game.
The upcoming challenge will be the Giants' toughest yet in this postseason period. The Eagles' defense finished second league-wide in lowest average yards allowed during the regular season and dominated the league in sacks (70), two shy of the NFL season record.
“They’ve got good players and know how to get to the quarterback. We’ll have a plan for those guys, and we’ve got a lot of confidence in our guys up front. They’ve played well the whole year and will be ready to go.”
But Jones and his teammates don't have time to cower in fear of the Eagles, not when they're on the ride of their young lives and one they don't want to see end anytime soon.
Jones, as expected, is calm ahead of the storm of facing that aggressive Eagles pass rush, which sacked him four times (backup Tyrod Taylor was sacked the other three times) in their Week 14 meeting (he didn't play in the second meeting in Week 18). The reason is his confidence in his blockers.
One of the guys up front that has been stellar is left tackle Andrew Thomas. Thomas was named to the AP’s All-Pro Second Team, a great honor for Daniel Jones’ blindside protector. Thomas has been a brick wall at left tackle for the past two seasons, changing his narrative from one of the worst tackles in the league to one of the best.
“I’ve always had a lot of confidence in Andrew," Jones said. "I think he’s been rock solid. Like anybody playing that position, early on, there are some things you’ve got to learn, but I thought he learned them quickly, and there’s no one playing at a higher level right now at that position in the league. Huge credit to him; he’s an unbelievable player. If you saw how he works and how he approaches every day, you wouldn’t be surprised.”
Jones also believes in his skill position teammates, one of whom is receiver Isaiah Hodgins, who is authoring his own comeback story. Hodgins was waived by the Bills and claimed by the Giants in November. Since then, he’s racked up 456 yards and five touchdowns, including a 105-yard, one-touchdown performance last week against the Vikings, and has emerged as one of Jones’ favorite targets.
“I think just trying to find those opportunities throughout the game, I think you can watch on tape a little bit and see how they’ve handled some of those situations, but more than anything, I think it’s about just reacting in the game," Jones said.
"The guys--you brought up Isaiah--I think he’s got a good sense for that, a good sense for getting open and making plays, some of those loose plays that aren’t necessarily how you expect them to unfold. I think it’s just about reacting and finding guys in those situations.”
The deeper the pending unrestricted free agent takes the Giants into the postseason, the more he's likely to cash in on his next contract. Already there are talks of him likely to earn upwards of $35 million per year on a short-term contract (three years) which, if he continues to ascend as a quarterback, could see him eventually achieving a Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen-type of deal before too long.
But Jones isn't worried about the long-term. He's too focused on taking care of some unfinished business against the Eagles, who stand in the Giants' way of their first appearance in the NFC Championship game since 2011.
“I certainly appreciate the support, but as I said, we’re focused on what we’ve got to do this week, what’s ahead of us now, and that’s all that matters," he said. "for any of us, it’s what you do next week and with the next opportunity, so that’s what I’m focused on.”
The next opportunity is a big one. The chance to take down the team that’s been hyped up all season long. If Jones can lead this team to a victory in Philadelphia, the respect will only grow.
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