Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll Still Backing QB Daniel Jones

Jones struggled in his first game back from an ACL injury.

Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) looks to pass during the first half against the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

East Rutherford, NJ—New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones wasn’t very good in his first game back from a torn ACL suffered in Week 9 last season.

To be fair, neither was the rest of his teammates or his coaches as the Giants dropped a 28-8 clunker to the Minnesota Vikings at home, their second straight blowout loss to open the season.
Jones, who finished 22-of-44 for 186 yards with two interceptions, one of which the Vikings converted into a Pick-6, looked like a man who hadn’t played in a live game for over two weeks.

His revamped offensive line hardly pitched a shutout, having a hand in the 12 hits and five acks Jones absorbed (Jones being responsible for some of those as well).

• RELATED: New York Giants Turn in a 28-6 Clunker vs. Vikings in Home Opener

Jones’s receivers also dropped five passes, though an argument could be made that at least three were poorly thrown. Otherwise, Jones seemed to pick up where he left off last year before his ACL injury where other than for two-quarters of football in a Week 2 come-from-behind win against the Arizona Cardinals, he was not very effective.

Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) enters the field during pregame introductions before a game against the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium. / John Jones-Imagn Images

"Not good enough," Jones said of his play after the game. "Didn't get in the end zone, scored six points. Didn't create much rhythm and flow for ourselves. I've got to be better, certainly got to play better, give ourselves more chances to make plays and execute more consistently."

Daboll, as he usually does after a loss, didn't want to get into specifics regarding his quarterback's play, though he did concede that the Vikings didn't pressure as much.

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"They pressured a few times," he said. "Again, I'm going to go back, watch the tape, try to make the corrections and be better."

If Jones is worried about losing his job anytime soon, he's not admitting it.

"I'm focused on doing my job and playing as well as I can," he said. "I've got to play better, I know that. And I'm focused on doing that."

He also claims he hasn't lost any confidence in himself.

"I think I've got to continue to get into a rhythm and get going, complete some balls, get things moving," he said. "I think we've all got to do that and that will help us build confidence and keep going."

Despite the quarterback’s latest clunker, head coach Brian Daboll didn't sound like someone ready to make a change at quarterback.

"We're going to watch everything," he said in response to the question, adding, "That's not in my mind."

Daboll deflected a question inquiring about his confidence level in Jones., saying, "
Overall, we have to do a better job, and that starts with me. "

He also refused to answer a question about Jones's confidence, reiterating, "We've got to do a better job all the way around. He'll learn from the tape, and we'll be better next week. "

This is the Giants’ second straight opening-day loss (both at home) in which they have been blown out. New York has been outscored by a combined 68-6 in those two games.

The Giants are on the road for the next two weeks, first in Washington next Sunday and then in Cleveland the following week.

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