Daniel Jones Makes Heartfelt Admission Regarding His Play
The early season numbers had many people wondering just how long new Giants head coach Joe Judge would be patient with quarterback Daniel Jones if he resumed his struggles from his rookie season.
In his first eight games at the helm of the Giants' offense, Jones threw just two touchdowns—both coming in the Week 1 regular-season opener against Pittsburgh—and nine interceptions, the Giants going 1-7 (barely) during that stretch.
And if that wasn’t enough for the head coach to pull his hair out, there was the on-going—and maddening—continuation of Jones’s ball security issues. He added five fumbles in those first eight games (with four of them lost), bringing his year and a half NFL total to 18.
But if there is one thing about Daniel Jones, we need to remember that beneath his mild-mannered demeanor, there is a roaring lion who is fiercely proud of his role as a team leader and captain, and who is willing to put his team ahead of his own good.
That last part about putting the team ahead of his own good is just one of the many lessons that the second-year quarterback learned from Judge, who believes that it doesn't matter how you got to the NFL but what you do once you set foot inside the Giants' East Rutherford, New Jersey headquarters.
That's another lesson Jones, the sixth overall pick in last year's draft, has taken to heart.
“My job is to earn it every day, and that’s the approach that you have to take in this league,” Jones said. “Come in every single day, earn your job, work hard, do what you’re asked to do, improve as a player every day, and that’s what I’m focused on. I’ll continue to do that.”
That mentality--that ability to let adversity roll off his back without so much breaking a sweat--has earned Jones the respect of his teammates and his head coach, the latter of whom didn’t hesitate in endorsing Jones as the franchise’s starting quarterback beyond this season.
“Watching Daniel work, watching the respect he has in the locker room, watching him improve throughout this season—I think he’s demonstrated a level of toughness and leadership and knowledge on the field that gives us confidence to put him out there and build with Daniel,” Judge said.
The head coach was asked if there was a particular moment that he knew Jones could be the guy.
“I’m not going to point to one moment, but I can talk about this entire season of this guy has definitely earned my respect,” he said. “I kind of made it very hard on him from the beginning in a lot of ways and he hasn’t blinked.”
What Jones has tried to do is grow as a quarterback. His coaches describe him as being very receptive to coaching, and he works tirelessly to incorporate what he’s taught into his game, even if it doesn’t feel natural at first.
One of the biggest lessons has been learning when to say when on a play.
“I think at times, particularly early in the year, I felt like I was pressing to make a play when it wasn’t there,” Jones said. “Learning when it’s not there, when the best decision is to protect the ball and make sure you’re controlling that—I’ve learned a lot through certain situations and situations we’ve played in in different games.”
The numbers, by the way, have reflected the lessons he’s learned. Jones, who has missed two of his last three games with hamstring and ankle injuries, hasn’t thrown an interception since Week 8 and has only fumbled twice—both times in the Week 9 win over Washington.
Collectively, the Giants offense has sputtered this season. Jones hasn’t thrown for over 280 yards, and he has led the Giants to 20 or fewer points in seven of the 12 games in which he’s played.
For Jones and the Giants, what matters now is these remaining two games, starting this weekend against the Baltimore Ravens, games that the Giants need to win if they’re to keep their dwindling playoff hopes alive.
“We’re not done,” Jones said. “We have two more games guaranteed. Our focus this week is on Baltimore and making sure we take care of business.”
Will he be well enough to lead the charge on offense?
“Yeah, I think I’m closer every day and feeling better every day,” Jones said. “I’m just trying to heal up as fast as I can.
“I’m working as hard as I can. I really do want to be out there with the guys and go after a win on Sunday.”
