Daniel Jones has the Giants again within the dance.
Sunday’s 38-10 blowout of the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium, led by 4 Jones touchdowns, clinched the Giants’ first playoff berth since 2016.
“Pretty special,” proprietor John Mara mentioned outdoors the successful residence locker room.
The crowd chanted “Daniel Jones!” within the fourth quarter and gave their quarterback a standing ovation when coach Brian Daboll put in backup Tyrod Taylor for a Jones curtain name with 7:30 remaining.
“It beats the alternative, for sure,” Jones deadpanned.
“I thought he earned it,” Daboll mentioned.
The Giants (9-6-1) are locked into the NFC’s six seed, the second of three Wild Cards.
After subsequent weekend’s common season finale on the Philadelphia Eagles, Daboll’s Giants will open the postseason on the highway on the Minnesota Vikings, supplied the San Francisco 49ers beat the Arizona Cardinals in Week 18, per Elias Sports Bureau.
Jones completed Sunday’s recreation with 19 of 24 passing for 177 yards and two TDs, plus 11 carries for 91 yards and two extra TDs. Then he turned his teammates’ true hero by giving them each Monday and Tuesday off when he broke the staff down postgame.
“Where’s the liquor?!” edge rusher Jihad Ward yelled out on an Instagram Live, on the lookout for the closest social gathering.
Jones has turn into so precious that his teammates are telling him to cease taking over defenders, like when the Giants QB barreled by means of Colts linebacker Bobby Okereke on his closing rating.
“I told him to get down,” left sort out Andrew Thomas mentioned, not kidding.
Jones’ prime time efficiency got here as momentum is constructing in the direction of the Giants probably bringing each Jones and Saquon Barkley again subsequent season.
The staff may use a franchise or transition tag on one whereas signing the opposite to a long-term contract, or GM Joe Schoen may give each multi-year offers. That will rely upon whether or not they can discover a center floor on the phrases and value.
That is a dialog for February and March, although. On Sunday, the Giants earned the appropriate to have a good time.
Daboll obtained a “sticky and wet” Gatorade bathtub because the clock wound down from Ward and security Julian Love on the sideline. Then the first-year coach pumped his fist on the crowd.
“This means we’re in the playoffs right?” Daboll cracked on the podium. “That was exciting. You work hard in this business to give yourself a chance to play extra innings and more games. And we’ve done that. Excitement, sure, definitely.”
The victory was punctuated by a 52-yard Landon Collins interception return for a landing within the second quarter that buried the Colts in a 24-3 halftime gap.
It was Collins’ first residence recreation again in New Jersey since re-signing with the Giants in October. And he scored to assist ship the Giants to the playoffs for the primary time since his 2016 All-Pro yr.
“When I came in here it was like, ‘This is where I should be at,’” Collins mentioned. “It wasn’t like, ‘Ah, I’m back home.’ It was like, ‘This is where I should be at. This is where I’m supposed to be.’”
Rookie No. 5 general choose Kayvon Thibodeaux made his presence felt once more, as effectively, knocking Colts beginning QB Nick Foles out of the sport with a rib harm on a second-quarter sack.
Thibodeaux did snow angels on the turf subsequent to an ailing Foles and shaped his arms in a ‘go to sleep’ signal on the sidelines as Foles limped off and the Colts wilted.
Thibodeaux insisted after the sport he didn’t know Foles was injured, although, when he was flailing his arms in celebration on the turf.
Regardless, few foresaw the Giants cracking the postseason in Daboll’s first yr on the helm. But he obtained them right here by beginning 6-1 within the staff’s first seven video games.
They grabbed highway wins over the Titans, Packers (in London) and Jaguars in that stretch, along with residence victories over the Panthers, Bears and Ravens.
No outcome was larger than their Week 1 win at Tennessee, when Daboll set an thrilling tone by going for 2 factors and the win with 1:06 to play within the fourth quarter on a Jones shovel move to Barkley.
The Giants have struggled to choose up victories within the second half of their schedule, going simply 3-5-1 of their final 9 video games. They’re additionally solely 1-3-1 within the NFC East.
But a postseason berth is refreshing for house owners Mara and Steve Tisch given the group’s 22-59 document (.272 win %) up to now 5 seasons. Mara let Daboll comprehend it postgame, too.
“He said congratulations,” Daboll mentioned of his dialog with Mara within the coaches’ room. “He was excited. He’s happy, smiling.”
Daboll is the Giants’ fourth head coach within the final six years together with Ben McAdoo, who led the staff to its final playoff berth in 2016, Pat Shurmur and Joe Judge.
Shurmur, Judge and Daboll all have coached Jones. And whereas the younger quarterback has taken loads of warmth and had his skills always questioned, he left little doubt Sunday about what he’s able to.
“Whether he’s running or throwing or being a leader for us, I felt like he had the tools to do this all along,” Thomas, the left sort out, mentioned. “He’s a great player, and people are starting to realize it. I think it’s good for the fans to recognize it because he’s dealt with some tough times. I’m happy for him.”
Receivers Richie James and Isaiah Hodgins each caught a TD move from Jones Sunday, and Barkley set a brand new profession excessive for dashing in a single season with 1,312 yards with Sunday’s 12 totes for 58 yards.
“I mean no one, let’s be honest, no one besides the men and women in that facility gave us a chance to accomplish this,” Barkley mentioned of the playoff berth. “And we just stuck to the script, kept believing in each other and gave ourselves the opportunity. And we did it.”
Most importantly, although, the Giants are again within the dance for simply the second time within the final 11 years. And for now, whereas this yr continues to be speculated to be yr one in all a long-term rebuild, they should have a good time that.
That’s why, whereas Daboll seemingly will relaxation a number of starters for subsequent week’s common season finale in Philly, the rookie coach mentioned he hadn’t thought of it but.
“I haven’t,” he mentioned with a sigh. “I’m just gonna enjoy this one right here. Gonna go home and smoke a cigar and be with my family.”
()
Source: www.bostonherald.com