No one keeping up with Jones on the ground
ARLINGTON, Texas — A possible equalizer for the Giants on Sunday against the Cowboys? The legs of Daniel Jones.
Jones leads all NFL players who have at least 25 carries with an average of 7.0 yards per rushing attempt. It is not so much the quantity of runs Jones has in a game, but the quality, as far as scrambling for first downs on designed quarterback rushes or improvised runs when all passing options are gone.
Jones has converted two successful two-point conversions this season, the first against the Falcons, when he muscled past 305pound Grady Jarrett on a designed run, and the second last week in New Orleans on something quite different: an improvised play.
“He just found the way in,’’ tight end Evan Engram told The Post. “That’s what he does, he finds a way.’’
The Giants had pulled within 21-16 and had gone for two. The play call was designed for Engram.
“Kind of like a rub concept, we do it all the time, teams know it’s coming so it kind of worked out for us,’’ Engram said. “Their defense took that away. He was ready to throw it and he just found a way in. He just made it happen.’’ ➤ Cowboys QB Dak Prescott, as a rookie in 2016, lost his first two starts to the Giants. Since then, he is 7-0 against them, with 16 touchdown passes and just two interceptions. Of his 17 career touchdown passes against the Giants, 12 are for 20 or more yards. … The Cowboys have forced two or more turnovers in eight consecutive games, dating back to last season, the longest active streak in the NFL. ➤ Ben McAdoo is a consultant with the Cowboys. McAdoo, the Giants’ offensive coordinator under Tom Coughlin in 2014 and 2015, was named the head coach in 2016, went 11-5 and made the playoffs in his first year, but did not make it out of his second season before he was fired. McAdoo was the Jaguars’ quarterbacks coach in 2020. Moving to the Cowboys reunited McAdoo with Mike McCarthy, the Cowboys’ head coach. McCarthy, as the head coach of the Packers in 2006, gave McAdoo a big chance, hiring him as the tight ends coach in Green Bay. ➤ RB Ezekiel Elliott (knee) is listed as questionable but is expected to play for Dallas. If he does, this game features two of the league’s top running backs.
“It’s not like you’re just going against Ezekiel Elliott,’’ Saquon Barkley said, “but as competitors, you tend to look up a bit more when you’re going against a guy like that and see what he’s doing, and it helps motivate you and want to push you to do a little better.” ➤ Starting left tackle Andrew Thomas listed as questionable to play because of a foot injury, so the Giants added some insurance to their roster, elevating Korey Cunningham from their practice squad.
If Thomas cannot play, Nate Solder would move from right to left tackle and second-year lineman Matt Peart wound get his first start of the season, at right tackle.
Thomas sustained the injury last week at New Orleans. ➤ Offensive lineman Jonotthan Harrison, a member of the practice squad, sustained an Achilles injury, the Giants announced.