Daniel Jones has come so far since his Giants heartbreak - New York Post

There was a “Why now?’’ vibe as Pat Shurmur announced one week ago he was starting Daniel Jones and benching Eli Manning.

A day after Jones thrilled the Giants and their fans while making a statement heard around the NFL, another question was set on the table for the head coach:

What took you so long?

As in, do you wish you made this move two weeks ago, to start the season?

“I feel like I did what I thought was best and, at least in this scenario, it played out well for Daniel,’’ Shurmur said Monday. “He had a good performance the first week out.’’

Calling what Jones did in his starting debut a “good performance’’ is akin to describing Antonio Brown as “a slight distraction’’ or recognizing Tom Brady as “mildly successful.’’ It wasn’t only Jones’ two touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns or the luck he ushered in when a potential soul-crushing, 34-yard field goal try by the Buccaneers sailed wide right as time expired.

Jones looked every bit a franchise quarterback and accomplished something that no Giants quarterback has pulled off in nearly 50 years.

That is how long it’s been since the Giants completed a comeback the likes of their 32-31 escape-job victory in Tampa. A great deal must transpire together for one team to recover from a 28-10 halftime deficit and the other team to blow such a lead. There is no doubt without Jones’ verve, makeup and legs, the Giants are 0-3.

Pat Shurmur (l) and Daniel JonesAnthony J Causi

Without the gift of making something from nothing Jones brings to the field, drives are not extended, first downs are not gained and the Giants tease but do not finish. Jones may go months and more likely years before he tops what he did in his first NFL start. The last time the Giants won when trailing by 18 or more points at halftime was way, way back on Nov. 15, 1970, when they trailed the Redskins 33-14 and used 21 fourth-quarter points to win 35-33. Kudos to Fran Tarkenton, Ron Johnson and Tucker Frederickson.

Jones did something Phil Simms and Manning never did. Now then, Jones did contribute some to the first-half woes, as he lost a fumble that the Bucs turned into seven points. In the second half, with the Giants in catch-up mode, playing without injured star Saquon Barkley and forced to throw it, Jones took a beating behind an offensive line that allowed four second-half sacks.

The pocket was not clean and Jones had to get dirty as he hit the grass, but he continued to get back up and make athletic plays the Giants haven’t seen out of their quarterback since elusive Jeff Hostetler was doing his thing, also in Tampa, in Super Bowl XXV.

Jones trailed 28-25 entering the fourth quarter, a scoreboard fact that usually spells doom for the Giants. They had lost 23 consecutive regular-season games when they trailed after three quarters.

It is revisionist history to point to what Jones can do and what Manning has never done and conclude Jones is Comeback Kid and Manning was Comeback Dud. There was a time when Manning the gunslinger specialized in late-game heroics. Check out Manning’s 2011 season — the Giants do not get anywhere near the playoffs, much less roll to another Super Bowl triumph, without Manning’s fourth-quarter brilliance. That season, Manning engineered six of his 37 career game-winning fourth-quarter drives.

There is nothing more uplifting for a franchise as when it believes the franchise quarterback is in the building. Consider the Giants uplifted.

“I think certainly there are things that become catalysts for whatever,’’ Shurmur said.

It is difficult to sort out what was most impressive about Jones. He was pressured on 51 percent of his drop-backs and on those plays he completed 12-of-16 passes for 192 yards and one touchdown. On a 46-yard strike to rookie Darius Slayton, Jones was harassed as soon as he took the snap, was forced to scurry to his left and made the throw while Carl Nassib was lining up the hit from behind and William Gholston was smacking Jones from in front.

That Jones could reset his feet and have enough arm strength and accuracy to make this throw belies what so many of his detractors said about him during the draft process.

Doesn’t that seem like a long time ago?

Let's block ads! (Why?)