The New York Giants are preparing to be without quarterback Daniel Jones in week 13 against the Seattle Seahawks. After pulling his right hamstring against the Cincinnati Bengals in a 19-17 victory, a contest at thrust the Giants to first place in the NFC East, there is optimism that Jones could still suit up against Seattle.
Head coach Joe Judge has kept his answers vague when asked about Daniel’s readiness, and since he was forced to leave Sunday’s game prematurely, the expectation is that the injury could last at least one week.
The New York Giants enjoyed hopeful MRI results for Jones:
MRIs showed that Jones didn’t have any significant damage to his hamstring, which was a great sign and indicates he could be back sooner rather than later. I still believe that Colt McCoy will start against Seattle this upcoming weekend, simply based on the fact that the Giants are not favored in the game and need Jones for the final four game stretch of the season leading up to the playoffs.
Judge stated that he would be waiting to hear back from trainers on Wednesday regarding Daniel and their program for the rest of the week. McCoy will be earning a majority of first-team snaps to prepare against the Seahawks, and considering he hasn’t started in more than five games since 2011, the Giants will have an uphill battle ahead of them.
Joe Judge said they're waiting to hear more feedback from trainers today about Daniel Jones (hamstring). What he can handle today will help them plan out tomorrow and Friday.
— Dan Salomone (@Dan_Salomone) December 2, 2020
As of this moment, Jones is simply working hard to regain his health, but you can’t speed up the healing of muscle tissue. Wrapping an ankle with a minor-sprain is much easier than preparing a hamstring to play a 60-minute football game, especially when your quarterback runs the ball often.
Joe Judge can't speak to how Daniel Jones is feeling physically. "I just know he's here today working very hard and doing everything he can."
— Dan Salomone (@Dan_Salomone) December 2, 2020
Ultimately, the Giants knew running the ball with Jones more often would increase the probability of injury. On the season, Jones has completed 228 passes for 2,335 yards, eight touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He has rushed for 403 yards and one score, already breaking his rushing total from 2019 and two fewer games.
It is also important to mention that the former Duke star has cut back his turnover significantly, fumbling 11 fewer times in a similar time frame compared to last season. He hasn’t turned the ball over in 2.5 games and is looking to extend that streak once he returns to be starting offense.