Jones accounts for Giants’ attack
Quarterback is team’s leading rusher, and it will likely continue
Quarterback Daniel Jones has been the New York Giants’ running game this season, even before star halfback Saquon Barkley was lost for the year with a knee injury.
Jones is leading the Giants (0-3) in rushing with 92 yards on 12 carries, a 7.7-yard average.
That would be great if the rest of the offense was rushing as well. It hasn’t.
Barkley, who was hurt in Week 2, Dion Lewis, Devonta Freeman, Wayne Gallman and Sterling Shepard have combined for 78 yards on 41 carries, a 1.9-yard average.
The revamped offensive line, which has three new starters, has failed to provide a push for the runners. Jones has been the spark with scrambling and now scripted runs, which were more evident last week in a 36-9 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Coach Joe Judge has no intention of cutting back on Jones’ running this weekend against the Rams and perennial Pro Bowl defensive lineman Aaron Donald in Los Angeles on Sunday.
“We’ll take production from anywhere we can,” Judge said Wednesday before practice.
Jones, who has turned the ball over a team-high six times, doesn’t see why he can’t continue to run with the same effectiveness.
“This offense gives us versatility for different people to run it,” he said. “I think we will continue to prepare and plan for each team and go into the game with a plan. Certainly, I am willing to do that (run) and that’s a valuable part of our offense.”
There is no doubt the line has to improve. Returning guard Will Hernandez and Kevin Zeitler have struggled just as much as the newcomers, center Nick Gates and tackles Andrew Thomas and Cam Fleming.
The group has been fooled frequently by basic stunts and twists.
“We’re at a point now where we are going into Game 4, this stuff should be ironed out,” offensive line coach Marc Colombo said Tuesday. “It’s our job this week to iron it out and move forward and get some more consistent play out of this group.”
Saints: Top receiver Michael Thomas returned to practice on Wednesday for the first time since injuring his ankle in New Orleans’ season-opening victory over Tampa Bay on Sept. 13. While Saints coach Sean Payton has yet to say if Thomas is on schedule to play this Sunday at Detroit, the fifth-year receiver ran through drills with a noticeable bounce in his step during the brief portion of practice open to reporters.
49ers: San Francisco began a second straight week of practice with Nick Mullens at quarterback in place of injured starter Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo missed practice Wednesday with a sprained ankle suffered in Week 2 and his status for Sunday night’s game against Philadelphia remains in doubt. Coach Kyle Shanahan said Garoppolo will have to show in practice that he’s healthy enough to avoid the pass rush in order to play Sunday.
Titans: Tennessee has at least one more day to see if the team’s coronavirus outbreak is under control before their game with the Steelers is rescheduled for Monday or Tuesday. Only one new positive test result came back Wednesday. The league announced the postponement from Sunday afternoon on Wednesday. The Titans hope to be allowed back inside their facility Saturday