Daniel Jones Says Pat Shurmur "Has Done a Lot for Me"

Jones knows he's been inconsistent in his rookie season, but he's thankful that head coach Pat Shurmur has exercised patience with him.

Giants rookie quarterback Daniel Jones doesn’t obsess over statistics, nor does he use them as a measuring stick regarding his growth or, if applicable, lack thereof.

Instead, he’s focused on taking one day at a time and working continuously to smooth out the rough edges in his game, the most glaring of which have been 13 fumbles, nine of which he’s lost, and eight interceptions, most of which have come about due to poor reads or bad decisions.

“I think taking care of the ball is a big deal and something that I need to do better with,” he said Tuesday when asked what he’d be focusing on over the bye.

“I think that’ll be a big thing. But I think just continue to improve, learning from the mistakes I’ve made.”

Jones has made some mistakes, but he’s also delivered a lot of positives in his first eight NFL starts, starting with consistent pinpoint accuracy, especially on his deep passes.

He’s one of 13 quarterbacks in the league to complete 60% or more of his pass attempts, and his 15 touchdowns tie him for seventh-most, with Carson Wentz of the Eagles.

He’s also second on the team in rushing, with 208 yards on 32 carries and two touchdowns, and has thrown for four touchdowns in a game twice this season, including last week against the Jets.

“I’m trying to continue to improve. Obviously, you want to do what you’re doing well, continue to do that well, and try to keep improving. We’ve had a lot of guys step up and make plays. My job is to continue to get them the ball and give them opportunities to make plays. We’ll keep doing that,” he said.

Jones didn’t say it in so many words, but it sounds like he’d like to continue improving under the watchful eye of head coach Pat Shurmur, who has personally overseen the rookie’s development. Shurmur has found his seat become hotter and hotter with each loss the team records, with his seat reaching roasting levels following last week’s loss to the Jets.

“I think Coach Shurmur has done a ton for me in my growth and development,” Jones said. “He’s seen a lot. He’s been around football for a long time, so I think that, to me, helps just kind of hearing his experience, hearing his understanding.”

Jones also knows that while Shurmur is not a patient man by nature, he has been patient with the rookie and his growing pains.

“I think he’s been extremely patient with me and supportive of me. I’ve been up and down, I’ve played well at times and not so well at times,” Jones said.

“He’s continued to support me and continued to coach me hard and give me the points of emphasis or the things that I need to be looking at closer. I think that’s been a huge help for me.”

The next step is up to Jones, who said he plans to go back to North Carolina and take a little time off to rest before getting right back into things in hopes of having a strong finish to his rookie campaign.