New York Giants fans serenaded Daniel Jones as the quarterback guided Big Blue to its first playoff appearance since 2016 with a 38-10 blowout victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
With just over 7:30 left in the game, coach Brian Daboll pulled Jones off the field mid-drive. Giants fans went wild for their QB and teammates mobbed him.
"That was a special moment," Jones said of the curtain call. "A lot of guys who've put in a lot of work. We've been through, certainly, some tougher times and it feels good to be on this side of it, for sure. Special moment with those guys. Really proud of this team, proud of what we did today. Grateful to be a part of it."
It’s been a heck of a turnaround for Jones. The former Duke QB struggled in bad offenses through his first three seasons, prompting the Giants to decline his fifth-year option. However, Jones found new life under Daboll, managing the turnover issues that plagued him, showing accuracy on the move and knowing when to use his elusiveness.
Sunday’s playoff-clinching performance was a culmination of that development. He threw for 177 yards on 19-of-24 passing with two touchdowns and zero interceptions and added 91 rushing yards with two rushing scores. It marked Jones' third game in the 2022 season with at least two passing TDs and zero INTs; he had no such games the previous two seasons.
Jones’ play now puts the onus on the Big Blue front office to ensure both he and Saquon Barkley are re-signed this offseason.
The Giants entered the season with few expecting a playoff berth in Daboll’s first season. And while they remain in the nascent stages of the new regime, they can continue to build on the fly while celebrating a postseason appearance.
"Let's be honest, no one besides the men and women in that facility gave us a chance to accomplish this,” Barkley said. "We just stuck to the script, kept believing in each other and gave us the opportunity. And we did it."