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MINNEAPOLIS — When Brian Daball took over as Giants head coach in January 2022, he landed a job that seemed to be missing one key ingredient. That’s his franchise quarterback. Josh as his long-time MVP candidate for the Bills Overseeing the rise of his Allen Davor’s crowning legacy in the position, just finishing his four-year run, is an unofficial symbol of past failed administrations. It was Daniel Jones.
The sixth overall pick in the 2019 Draft, Jones spent the first three years of his NFL career one of the most consistently dysfunctional offenses in the league, totaling 49 total turnovers in 37 games. was recorded. Daboll’s bosses refused to exercise his fifth-year option, which guaranteed him a contract through 2023, and decided early to bet on his 25-year-old QB.
Almost a year after Daboll and Jones famously teamed up, they forged a new identity for the QB on Sunday.
As a pending free agent, Jones’ future beyond this season is yet to be written. And separating his growth from the influence of Davor and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka is a complicated game. But one thing is clear for him in his room, the Giants’ locker who celebrated his 31-24 upset in the 13-4 Vikings’ Super Wildcard weekend. system product.
Here and now, even for a moment, he That guy.
Sunday’s numbers speak for themselves: The former Duke’s product, which went head-to-head with the domineering Vikings of Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson and Kevin O’Connell, nearly slammed in front of the sometimes deafening US Bank Stadium crowd. Perfect, becoming the first total QB in playoff history. At least 300 yards passing in a game, 70 yards rushing, and his two passing touchdowns. (Steve Young and Lamar Jackson were the only elite dual threats to match those marks.)
Jones also became the Giants’ youngest QB since Eli Manning won a playoff game in 2011. This is the last time New York recorded a postseason win. And perhaps most importantly, he never let go of the ball. This matched the efficiency of the regular season and controlled the rocks at a better rate than anyone under center.
Did Dabor and Kafka wisely execute third-down and force-down calls to disrupt the ill-fated Viking defenses and get more production from the receiving corps assembled with spare parts? But the guys who’ve huddled with Jones, and those who saw him straighten up and walk away from the winners on Sunday night, know there’s more to it than that.
“He was ready,” said receiver Richie James, who caught four passes against Minnesota. “He was ready.”
The post-game locker room, while celebratory at first, was unusually tame for a team that had just won its first playoff victory in over a decade. The player suggests that it’s proof.
“Be confident,” wideout Marcus Johnson said of Jones’ infectious suit. “Calm down. One thing I can say about Daniel is that he doesn’t falter. He always finds a way to keep his cool, keeps us pointing in the right direction, and we rally around him. And Today we saw it.To full effect. When the game is on the line, when it’s the big play.He’s found a way to make it happen.I have a lot of respect for him.His game is consistent.
Long-term questions abound from Sunday’s shootout, which surpassed even the Christmas Eve trends of the Giants and Vikings, which Minnesota won with a 61-yard walk-off field goal. Why did O’Connell’s upstart contender lose sight of top playmaker electric Justin Jefferson when it mattered most? What kind of overhaul awaits the Vikings ‘D’ who rejected the 2018? Can you finish?
One question that won’t be asked within the Giants’ organization, on the team bus, in a private plane, or in a waiting boardroom or practice field, at least this week, is whether New York has a franchise QB. Sunday night is the only thing that matters, and Sunday night has it all, and ultimately the coaching staff is behind him in words and deeds.
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