Can Lions' 31st Ranked Defense Put a Scare into Daniel Jones and the Giants?

The Lions have the 31st ranked defense in the NFL, which is not what you'd expect from Bill Belichick coaching disciple Matt Patricia. Can the Giants and rookie quarterback Daniel Jones take advantage and snap their three-game losing streak?

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During Monday night’s loss to the Patriots, New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold admitted to “seeing ghosts” after being harassed mercilessly by the Patriots defense.

With their MetLife Stadium neighbors set to face Belichick coaching disciple Matt Patricia’s Lions, it was only natural to inquire as to whether Patricia had any spooky plans for Giants rookie quarterback Daniel Jones.

“Pretty much trying to stick in the normal world,” Patricia said.

Not including ghosts, Jones has plenty of issues of his own to improve on. The Giants have dropped three in a row after starting 2-0 in the “Danny Dimes” era, falling to the Vikings, Patriots, and Cardinals.

In those losses, Jones has thrown just three touchdown passes and five interceptions and has failed to throw for more than 225 yards in any of those games. 

That stretch is a far cry from his spectacular Week 3 debut as a starter in which he completed 23 of 36 passes for 336 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for two additional touchdowns in a performance that earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Despite Jones’ struggles, Patricia offered praise for the Giants rookie quarterback.

“He’s doing a great job—he’s improving every week. I think Daniel Jones just looks like he’s more and more comfortable with the system, with the plays being run and understanding defenses. You can see that maturation process occurring,” Patricia said.

Despite the praise, don’t expect the Lions defense to make life easy for Jones. If, however, there is a player on the Giants with the supernatural ability to stop the ghosts from overwhelming Jones, that would be Giants running back Saquon Barkley.

Barkley returned to the field Sunday after missing the last three games with a sprained right ankle, recording 72 yards on 18 carries.

“He’s phenomenal,” Patricia said of Barkley. “His combination of size, explosiveness, strength, and speed is very difficult. It’s a very rare talent and ability.”

In addition to Jones and Barkley, the Lions will try to stop receiver Golden Tate, who signed a four-year $37.5 million contract with the Giants this past off-season.

Patricia knows Tate from last season when the receiver spent the first seven games of 2018 with the Lions before being traded to the Eagles.

“He’s a great person and someone that plays extremely hard,” Patricia said. “He’s tough, he’s extremely skilled with the football in his hands and really difficult to play against. I played against him in a couple of different spots that he’s been in, that I’ve been in, and just have the utmost respect for him as a player.”