SSERBY: DANNY LOOKS LIKE SUPERMAN
Five-TD game shows Jones can be next Eli
LANDOVER, Md. — This wasn’t any Super Bowl Sunday, so it wasn’t Eli Manning driving the Giants down the field in a two-minute drive for the ages.
It was young Daniel Jones offering definitive evidence that he can indeed be The Next Eli Manning, that be can be a Super Bowl quarterback if only the Giants can surround him with a host of better players.
Yes, it will be a crying shame if one of those players is not named Chase Young, but on a day the Giants dropped out of second overall and behind the Redskins in the NFL draft order, the franchise could celebrate that it is in good hands at the most important position on the field.
It was young Daniel Jones capping a 66-yard overtime drive with his fifth touchdown pass, this one a 3-yarder to Kaden Smith, for a 41-35 victory over the Redskins. “He played pretty heroic,” Pat Shurmur said. Daniel Jones (28-for-42, 352 yards) played pretty heroic and so did Saquon Barkley (189 yards and a TD rushing on 22 carries, 90 yards and TD receiving on four receptions) and if you are a Giants fans, they are your dynamic duo who will allow you to close your eyes and imagine a better and brighter future.
As wondrous as Barkley is, it is the franchise quarterback who most impacts the won-loss record, and this one was big for Jones after eight consecutive losses and two weeks on the sidelines with a high ankle sprain watching Manning. Dave Gettleman got this one right. A wilting Giants defense that has not learned how to make a stand when it matters had just inexcusably surrendered a game-tying 99-yard TD drive to Case Keenum, who had relieved Dwayne Haskins (ankle) in the first minute of the third quarter. Now it was OT. “I’m calling heads,” Barkley announced. Jones made his own announcement. “And he already said, ‘So we’re gonna go win the game,’ ” Barkley said. It was heads. “He’s a dawg,” Barkley said. Whose bite is worse than his bark. “I knew it was a big opportunity for us,” Jones said. “The way overtime’s set up, you get the ball first, that’s a huge advantage.”
As long as you have a pressure-proof quarterback who lives for these moments on your side.
“That’s kinda what you look forward to, what you play for, is an opportunity to go down and win the game,” Jones said.
He was asked what he said after Barkley promised p to call heads.
“Uh, I don’t know, ‘Let’s go,’ maybe. I’m not sure,” Jones said.
It was third-and-7 at his 37 when Jones, whose lone glitch was a fumble that Kevin Zeitler recovered, made the kind of throw over the middle that bigtime quarterbacks are expected to make.
“We were getting a lot of zone in the second half, and coach made a great call. Daniel fit the ball in there. Moving the sticks, that’s what we needed to do,” Shepard said.
It was good for 23 yards, and then Barkley moved the sticks again to position Jones for the game-winning throw past Landon Collins.
“The physical tools, hands down, definitely has those — he can run, he can throw — the mental part he shows that he’s improving each and every week,” Golden Tate said. “It gets you excited to see what he’s gonna do next. The guy’s fearless, he doesn’t mind being hit. I see DJ being great. If anyone’s gonna stop DJ it’s gonna be DJ and I don’t see that happening ’cause I think his will to be great is there.”
Jones (23 TDs, 11 INTs) had thrown four TDs in a game twice. And now this.
“The moment’s really never too big for him,” Michael Thomas said. “He’s confident when he’s out there but at the same time calm. He doesn’t ever seem like he’s panicking. I just love his game.”
The Giants are 4-11 because they have so many holes. Quarterback and running back are not two of them.
“I think that’s what they envisioned when they drafted DJ and drafted me,” Barkley said.
Everyone was sold on Barkley, touched by the hand of God, if you remember. Daniel Jones? The controversial sixth pick of the 2019 NFL Draft? Daniel Jones? “Savage,” Shepard said.
A savage named Chase Young might be chasing him next season. The Giants won’t worry about Daniel Jones.