Giants QB Daniel Jones Decent in Return from Injuries
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones returned from his one-week absence due to a sprained ankle and a hamstring strain and put up a losing yet mistake-free performance in a 27-13 loss to the Ravens.
Jones, who two weeks ago against the Cardinals appeared to rush back from the hamstring only to show an alarming lack of mobility, seemed to move around in the pocket better this week, though again, there were no designed runs called for him.
He completed 24 of 41 passes for 252 yards and one touchdown pass while absorbing six sacks, but he appeared to emerge no worse for the wear and might have had better numbers were it not for some costly drops from wide receivers Austin Mack, Darius Slayton, and Sterling Shepard.
Despite a solid showing, Jones found no consolation in how the game unfolded.
“There’s no moral victories and to not get the result we wanted is disappointing," Jones said.
Most impressively is that Jones, despite suffering six sacks, played another turnover-free game, the fourth in his last five starts, and threw his first touchdown pass to end a three-game drought.
However, Jones was once again without his mobility, as the Giants' strayed away from using any designed runs for Jones. Jones didn't scramble out of the pocket for more than a single three-yard run in the third quarter.
Ultimately, despite the many positives in his latest comeback performance, Jones could not lead the offense to the output it needed for a critical win.
While drops, poor protection, and a lack of run game all contributed to the team's offensive struggles, Jones did not execute the plays the Giants needed on critical moments, especially early in the game.
The Giants converted just one of 10 third-down attempts and failed to get into the end zone at all until the fourth quarter when the game was seemingly out of reach.
“We didn’t start the game like we needed to," Jones said. "We shot ourselves in the foot. On a couple plays, we weren’t able to convert on third down, and that threw us behind. It dug a little hole for us. We’ve got to look at that stuff. We’ve got to clean it up. It makes it tough when you put yourself in that position."
After failing to score early in the game and keep up with the Ravens' high-octane scoring attack, the Giants' offense fell into a predictable must-pass pattern.
This allowed the Ravens' defense to play for the pass throughout the game, taking away many of Jones' passing options and applying extreme pressure on him upfront.
"They know we have to throw it in those situations, and they’re either going to play coverage or pressure you," Jones said. "I’ve just got to do a better job of handling it and getting the ball out."
Despite playing to get out of a big hole, Jones handled the adversity as well as he could and even helped lead the Giants to a late surge to make the final score respectable.
With a game back under his belt, the Giants will look for more from Jones next week against the Dallas Cowboys in a matchup that could decide the Giants' playoff fate.
But before they get to that point, Jones said there is plenty of work for the Giants to clean up.
"By no means is anyone okay with (the loss), but there are positives we can take from today," he said, declining to identify what those positives were.
"We’ll continue to look at those things. We’ll continue to study ourselves and learn what we still need to improve on."
