New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has been injured for the second half of the season, after going down with a hamstring injury against the Cincinnati Bengals in week 12. The Giants managed to win that game 19-17, but Jones has missed two games over the last four weeks.
Unfortunately, without his running ability, DJ simply isn’t as effective. As a pure pocket passer, Jones has struggled to excel in Jason Garrett’s offense, and that could be a result of his poor playcalling. However, utilizing RPO’s and his legs to keep opposing defenses honest is a significant part of his game, and without it, we’ve seen his struggles.
Jones spoke to the media this past week, trying to sell the idea of a conservative game plan. However, he’s been running well and has no injury designation this week, which could indicate 100% health and a potential return to his running strengths.
“I think you can tell from the tape I can’t do a lot of the same things I’m used to doing. I’ve played from the pocket the past couple weeks, and I expect to continue to do that until I’m healthy. We’ll see what exactly, but I expect the game plan and what I’m asked to do to be fairly similar to what it’s been these past few weeks.”
Just from watching the tape, Jones has refrained from leaving the pocket and taking off downfield. He’s rolled out without any hesitation or limp, showing that he’s close to being 100%. I believe the Giants will be a bit more aggressive, considering this week 17 matchup against Dallas has playoff implications.
“It’s certainly something I have to be aware of with my mobility and what I can do, and something I’m cognizant of playing in the game,” Jones said. “But it’s how I’ve played these last couple of weeks and I’ve kind of gotten used to it.”
Head coach Joe Judge would’ve liked Jones to be a bit vaguer with his responses, but it certainly has thrown a monkey wrench into Dallas’s game plan. They have to be careful that Jones is not capable of running, and will in fact stay in the pocket. This could catch them off guard.
“I read Daniel’s comments yesterday,” Judge said. “Probably a little more forthcoming than I would have been with it right there. But as I said yesterday, we’ll do whatever it takes to win the game.”
The New York Giants have leaned on DJ’s legs often this season:
Over 13 games, Jones has rushed for 406 yards, closing in on double his 2019 numbers. He hasn’t reached the end zone much in the category, but he’s averaging 7.3 yards per carry and has made it a priority in his game. This was a factor that wasn’t expected to be significant when Jones entered the NFL, but his increase in size and speed has made running the football a great asset for the Giants.