Daniel Jones Rises to Occasion in Giants Playoff Clinching Victory
The New York Giants delivered their best performance of the season in a resounding, playoff-clinching 38-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, doing so on the arm, legs, and spirit of quarterback Daniel Jones.
Jones completed 79.2 percent of his 24 pass attempts for 177 yards and two touchdowns and rushed the ball 11 times for 91 yards and an additional two touchdowns. In between, he continued doing what he's done all season: make smart decisions to keep the ball out of harm's way and show his toughness on hit after hit.
Jones was so good that when head coach Brian Daboll pulled him from the game midway through the fourth quarter in favor of Tyrod Taylor, the MetLife Stadium crowd rose to its feet and chanted his name, giving him a standing ovation.
“I’m appreciative, grateful,” said Jones of the reception he received. “Our fans have been tremendous all year. They supported us today. They came out and brought a lot of energy. The whole game, we felt it and fed off it. Grateful, really appreciative of their support for me personally and for our team.”
Jones has been a Giant for four seasons, but the first three were forgettable ones that led to a growing number of critics questioning his worthiness of having been selected as the sixth overall pick in the 2019 draft, let alone his worthiness to lead this Giants franchise in the post-Eli Manning era.
But Jones simply did the same thing day after day, year after year. He showed up to work and left everything he had on the field, his effort finally bearing fruit.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s just exciting,” said Jones of making the postseason. “We’ve been through some tough times, and to be on this side of it is a lot of fun. A lot of hard work has gone into it from a lot of different people. I’m grateful for my teammates and this organization, and I look forward to a lot of work ahead.”
Jones, who gave his teammates an extra day off in the postgame locker room to celebrate their reaching the postseason for the first time since 2016, has earned the respect of his coaches and teammates.
"I feel like I’ve been saying it all year. He’s a heck of a player, heck of a quarterback," said running back Saquon Barkley, who revealed he told Jones he loved him when he came off the field in the fourth quarter.
"I think it showed, not just today, but the whole season and I’m just happy for him. Hearing his name getting chanted is a beautiful thing, and you can finally see he’s starting to get the respect he earns."
"He played a good game, added head coach Brian Daboll. "He’s been playing a good game for a while since we’ve been here. So, he’s making the right decisions, throwing it where he needs to throw it, taking off with his legs, and playing good situational football. That’s what we need from him week-in and week out."
The growth Jones has shown this year has been nothing short of remarkable. From his lower turnover rate to his improved decision-making to his career-high accuracy and his feel in the pocket, Jones is finally starting to look like the quarterback the Giants hoped they were getting when they drafted him.
Jones is always quick to deflect the credit away from himself, and he did so when asked what Daboll's influence has meant to him.
“He’s meant a lot,” said Jones. “I’ve learned a lot from him. A lot of football. I’ve grown a lot as a player. I appreciate his support and giving me the chance to go out there and play. He’s helped me a lot; he’s helped all of us a lot.”
Making the playoffs is no simple feat, but now that the Giants are in, they will take a little time to celebrate before getting back to work to finish the regular season against the Philadelphia Eagles next week.
“We’ll enjoy it; we’ll celebrate it,” said Jones. “But I think we all understand there’s a lot of work to do ahead of us. There’s a lot still out there for us, a lot we can work on and improve on. We’ll enjoy it. It’s hard to win in this league, as we’ve learned, and it’s hard to make the playoffs. We’ll enjoy it, but there’s a lot still out there for us.”
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