Joy & pain for Giants
GRAB 1ST PLACE, MAY LOSE JONES
GIANTS 19
BENGALS 17
Daniel Jones looked borderline despondent after Sunday’s third straight Giants win to put them atop the NFC East standings for the first time since 2016. That could be because Jones fears what this morning’s MRI of his right hamstring will reveal. And he knows that diagnosis means more than Sunday’s 19-17 road victory.
“I did feel it. We’ll see exactly what it is. It’s tough to tell,” Jones, 23, said of the injury he suffered on a designed, 7-yard quarterback run up the middle at the 6:04 mark of the third quarter. “I did feel it there on that run and probably never had anything exactly like this. So I’ll just be listening to the trainers and doctors and doing what I can to heal it up.”
Asked about whether it’s a longterm injury, Jones said “it’s tough to say.” He admitted when he reentered the game on the following drive, he was unable to plant and push off when he threw, and that’s when he went to the sidelines for good.
Backup Colt McCoy managed the rest in his first snaps as a Giant and let kicker Graham Gano (four field goals) and the defense win the game — barely.
Defensive lineman Jabaal Sheard’s sack-fumble of Bengals QB Brandon Allen in the final minute, recovered by Leonard Williams, sealed a nailbiter victory. That was one of three second-half turnovers forced by the Giants in a smothering defensive effort that held the Joe Burrow-less Bengals offense to 155 total yards.
The Giants (4-7), therefore, moved into a first-place tie with Washington (4-7) but technically stand atop the division because they own the tiebreaker with a 2-0 headto-head record. They’ll stay there heading into Week 13, too, if the floundering Philadelphia Eagles (3-6-1) lose to the Seahawks (7-3) tonight. That said, head coach Joe Judge and safety Logan Ryan didn’t want to hear about it because the Giants visit Seattle next week, and now Jones could be out for an extended period of time, and they know this first-place share could be fleeting.
“Who cares? Who honestly cares, it’s like a tie,” Ryan said. “We’re in first place for a minute , and then someone else plays.” “Listen: If we start looking past what we’ve got to do to get ready, this conversation’s gonna be something of the past if you know what I’m saying,” Judge said.
Still, Judge has the Giants on a three-game winning streak for the first time since Weeks 10-12 of the 2016 season under Ben McAdoo. That stretch also included a win over Cincinnati as part of a six-game winning streak.
The 2016 season is also the last time the Giants made the playoffs. The 2014 Panthers are the only team since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger to make the playoffs after having only three wins through 10 games, according to Fox Sports.
The Giants are tied for first place in the division for the first time since Week 2 of 2016, when they started 2-0. And they are tied for first place in Week 12 or later for the first time since 2015, in Week 14 under Tom Coughlin with a 6-7 record, per the Elias Sports Bureau.
“Every day, especially early on in the season, wasn’t easy,” said tight Evan Engram, who caught six passes for a team-leading 129 yards, with a fumble. “We had some tough losses, some close losses that in the past have really knocked us out. We didn’t allow that. It wasn’t a very good-looking win today, but the team’s played together, especially defense. They stayed strong and made huge plays for us.”
Jones’ injury is a huge concern and a major asterisk, though, especially considering the Giants’ upcoming schedule against the Seahawks, Cardinals, Browns,
Ravens and Cowboys. McCoy, 34, was 6-of-10 for 31 yards in relief, should have been intercepted, and missed a wide open Dion Lewis for a touchdown.
“There’s a few I’d really like to have back, but always thankful to get a win,” McCoy said.
Jones hurt his hamstring with 11 minutes left in the third quarter as he fell forward and was hit by Bengals safety Vonn Bell on the designed run. Jones was limping after handing off to Wayne Gallman on the next play.
On third down, the normally mobile Jones stood rigidly, threw complete to Gallman for the first down, but dropped to the turf grabbing his right hamstring. McCoy then entered and threw his second pass right to Bengals LB Akiem Gaither-Davis, who dropped it. Gano hit a field goal for a 13-10 lead with 8:06 left in the third quarter.
Judge said the trainers cleared Jones to go back on the field for the next drive. But he got through only two more plays. He handed to Gallman and limped away on first down, then nearly threw an interception on second down, unable to push off his leg.
“Just (was trying to test) how I was throwing the ball, planting, pushing off of it and trying to see what I can do and how I could move,” Jones said. “That was what I was looking for and didn’t think I was in great shape to do that at that point. Like I said, looking to recover as quickly as I can and heal it up.”
With Jones out, the conservative Giants managed only field goals off the Bengals’ turnovers, and Cincy used a couple Giants defensive penalties to mount a late touchdown drive to draw within two on an Allen TD pass to Tee Higgins.
But rookie Cam Brown made what Judge called a “game-saving tackle” on the Bengals’ ensuing punt return out to the 50, and Sheard got to Allen to snuff out a potential crushing loss.
Judge’s special teams were a liability for the first time all season, allowing a Brandon Wilson 103-yard kick return TD to answer Gallman’s opening-drive touchdown. The game was tied at 10 at the half, and the Bengals also converted a fake punt in the second half.
Jones was up and down prior to his injury. He hit Engram for gains of 53 and 44 yards and delivered a deep strike that Darius Slayton dropped. But Jones also made five dangerous throws, including one sure interception that corner Mackensie Alexander dropped.
The Giants need their young quarterback to be healthy if they want to continue evaluating him and continue challenging in the wide open NFC East.
As of late Sunday night, though, the signs weren’t great. Jones’ body language spoke loudest. It said we might not see him on the field again for some time.