Now he’s Danny Nickel!
Jones throws for 5 TDs in return
LANDOVER, Md. — The vision got all muddled. The plan looked as clear as a frozen windshield with a busted defroster in a blizzard. If there was a method to the madness, it tilted heavily toward the madness.
Those involved believe it is there, though, and can see through all the interference and identify what it is supposed to look like. For anything to work the way it is supposed to with the Giants, it has to be Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley as the two cornerstones.
For months now, there was disconnect between “supposed to’’ and reality. But on a temperate afternoon at FedEx Field, the pair of 22-year-old faces of the franchise delivered the goods, offering gratification on Sunday and, just maybe, for the future.
“That’s kind of what they envisioned when they drafted DJ and they drafted me,’’ Barkley said.
Yes, this is the plan, this is the vision.
After missing the last two games with a high ankle sprain — and watching Eli Manning beat the Dolphins last week — Jones returned to the starting lineup and proceeded to rip apart the Redskins, firing five touchdown passes, throwing for 352 yards and — get this — not committing a turnover in a game for the first time.
Barkley took off on a 32-yard run the first time he touched the ball and pretty much never stopped churning those massive quads, rushing for a career-high 189 yards and catching four passes for 90 yards.
The youthful 1-2 punch powered the Giants to a 35-21 lead entering the fourth quarter and, after the requisite defensive breakdowns that allowed the game to be tied in the closing minute of regulation, Jones and Barkley put the hammer down in overtime. When Jones hit another rookie, tight end Kaden Smith, for a 3-yard scoring pass, the Giants had a 41-35 victory and hope that they can be the start of something far more promising that what has transpired with these team for too long.
“Well, I think it’s good for us to get these things lined up a little bit better going into next year,’’ coach Pat Shurmur said. “We’ve got a chance to do some good things.’’
Ah yes, next year. The Giants are 4-11, their season done in by the damage of a nine-game losing streak, and that could be enough evidence for ownership to make a coaching change. Shurmur is 9-22 in his two years with the Giants. Does beating the Dolphins and Redskins in back-to-back weeks constitute proof that this team is headed in the right direction?
“We’re not doing it for those reasons,’’ Shurmur said. “We’re doing it because it’s what we do. How anybody evaluates that, that’s out of our control. It really is. And we don’t worry about that.’’
Shurmur three times called Jones’ performance “heroic” and it certainly was historic. This is the first time in NFL history a rookie quarterback put together a game with five touchdown passes, more than 350 passing yards and no interceptions.
Anyone opining that the Giants needed to lose this game in order to solidify their draft status, stay at No. 2 and get Ohio State pass-rusher Chase Young must not have discussed this scenario with Jones, who took a starting streak of eight consecutive losses into this game.
Returning to the field was a big deal for Jones and he delivered, with the sort of performance that has the Giants believing they got it right by taking him No. 6 in the 2019 draft. Less than three minutes in, he lofted the ball to Sterling Shepard for a 23-yard touchdown hookup.
Shepard said it is “lovely’’ when Jones and Barkley can play off each other the way they did in this game.
“It’s good for us going forward,’’ Shepard said. “If we can keep this thing pushing, if we can finish off strong it will lead into the next season, I totally believe that.’’
Jones in the first half waged an interesting battle with Dwayne Haskins, the rookie selected No. 15 in the draft. Haskins tossed two touchdown passes in the first half but was knocked out of the game with an ankle injury on the first play of the third quarter after getting sacked by Markus Golden and Lorenzo Carter. Case Keenum took over at quarterback for the Redskins.
No lead is secure with the Giants defense on the premises, though. What was a seemingly safe 35-21 lead heading into the fourth quarter turned into a highwire act. The rookie cornerbacks, DeAndre Baker and Corey Ballentine, took turns handing the Redskins points with pass interference penalties in the end zone.
In overtime, Barkley went out to midfield and called heads. He won the toss and the Giants got first crack on offense.
“You see it as a huge opportunity for the team, and you’re excited for that,’’ Jones said.
“As soon as Saquon said heads and we got heads I knew we were gonna win,’’ center Jon Halapio said. “You could just feel it.’’
The Redskins never saw the ball. Jones put together an 11-play, 66-yard drive, highlighted with a third-and-7 missile to Shepard for 23 yards. A 12-yard run by Barkley got it within the shadow of the end zone and Jones finished it off with touchdown pass No. 5.
“I love the fact,’’ safety Michael Thomas said, “the moment’s never too big for him.’’