For the better part of this season, dating back to training camp, the outside world has told Daniel Jones what he can’t do.
When the Giants lost the first two games — at home to the Vikings and at Washington — the questions began:
- When will the Giants ever win their first game of the season?
- How long before Giants head coach Brian Daboll replaces Jones with No. 2 Drew Lock?
The road to impending doom for Jones and the Giants was supposed to continue in Cleveland against a Browns team with a ferocious defense. How was Jones going to succeed against that defense?
Then what about Thursday night’s home game against Dallas, which has won 13 of the past 14 meetings between the two teams dating back to 2017 — including the past six?
After those two games, there were seemingly unfavorable matchups against the Seahawks (3-0), Eagles (2-1) and Steelers (3-0).
So, the question before Sunday’s Cleveland game was this: When will the Giants win a game?
Doomsday prognosticators had them potentially spiraling to 0-8.
Then Jones completed 24 of 34 for 236 yards, two TDs and no turnovers in the gritty 21-15 win.
And now the Dallas game looks eminently winnable considering the mess the Cowboys are in, having yielded 72 points in the last two games (both losses).
Suddenly, the complexion of the Giants season — and that of Jones — has changed dramatically now that we’ve seen how good they can be.
“We don’t like losing to anybody, especially a divisional game,’’ Jones said Wednesday when asked about the Dallas domination of the series. “We understand what this game means.’’
Jones, in the past two games, has completed 65 percent of his passes, averaged 235 yards, thrown four TDs and hasn’t committed a turnover.
If there’s anyone inside the Giants locker room who bears the brunt of the most outside criticism, it’s Jones.
Not that anyone could ever tell based on the stoic way in which he handles the outside noise.
“DJ is very confident; he’s very headstrong,’’ left tackle Andrew Thomas said. “With a lot of adversity and a lot of criticism, he just continues to come to work every day and he doesn’t let it affect him. We have confidence in him. He’s been showing what we can do.’’
Safety Jason Pinnock said his respect level for the way Jones handles the outside criticism is “very high.’’
“He doesn’t let anybody else know if he is affected by it, so we don’t know,’’ Pinnock said. “That’s what leaders do. Never show it when you’re hurt.’’
Daboll lauded Jones’ mental toughness amidst the firestorm of criticism and flood of non-believers, saying, “His focus is always where it needs to be. …
“When he comes in the building, he’s the same guy every day, whether it’s a bad practice, a good practice, a bad game, a good game. I think that’s important to be able to play quarterback here.’’
Daboll spoke about how Jones “is focused on what he needs to do to be better from Week 1 to Week 2, from Week 2 to Week 3,’’ adding, “We watch the tape, we coach up, whether it’s technique or eyes or fundamentals or route concepts or play calls. We have a good communication on that, and that’s important, and that’s really all we focus on.
“We don’t focus on any other things that really don’t affect him other than what we do in our meeting time [and] at practice, our communication, communication with the receivers, protections with the offensive line.’’
What about the constant criticism, those who focus on the “Hard Knocks’’ episode in which the team was trying to trade up to draft a new franchise quarterback?
What about those who believe Jones’ days are numbered as the Giants starter?
How difficult is it for Jones to handle that?
“Everybody probably deals with a little bit differently, but we don’t really talk too much about that,’’ Daboll said. “The thing I appreciate about Daniel is he comes in ready to work every day and his focus is on what’s important, which is learning from our mistakes and doing a good job communicating on what we can do better.’’
“Him and I — our relationship of play-caller and quarterback — is important and then working at it in practice. So that’s what I see every day.’’
Narratives are in constant flux in the NFL, shifting from week to week. Temperatures are taken almost hourly.
Jones is no longer a dead quarterback walking and the Giants are no longer a dead team walking. And fewer from the outside masses are telling Jones and the Giants what they can’t do.
