Daniel Jones looked out of sorts in the New York Giants’ season opener, his first game back from ACL surgery. One of his two interceptions was a pick-six, and home fans showered him with boos.
It could not have gone much worse. He also could not have picked a better opponent to bounce back against.
Jones and the Giants visit the Commanders, also 0-1, with major questions on defense and a history of struggling against New York’s much-maligned quarterback. Jones has dominated Washington his entire NFL career, and Sunday is the next chance for “Danny Dimes” to get his mojo back.
“Everybody here is rallying around Daniel,” left guard Jon Runyan said. “He’s in there, he’s grinding. He’s in the weight room, and he’s going to get this thing right. I know it, and I think we all trust and believe that he will.”
Jones has beaten Washington, with three different team names, since getting drafted sixth in 2019. He’s 5-1-1 with 11 touchdowns (10 passing), three interceptions, 1,510 yards in the air and 324 more on the ground.
Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner brushed that off because he was not around for any of those games, and he is one of six new starters on defense. But that doesn’t mean he and his teammates are underestimating Jones after a brutal Week 1 performance.
“He does a really good job using his feet, creating plays,” Wagner said. “That’s what makes it hard. I think when he has time, he makes really good throws, and so our job is to not give him time. When you let him get some time and use his legs, he can be dangerous.”
Dan Quinn, who coached against Jones plenty as the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive coordinator the past three years, said the 27-year-old’s ability to extend plays beyond the normal 2.3-second throwing window is also a factor.
“He’s got speed and athleticism,” Quinn said. “He remains a runner, where some QBs would go and get down or get out bounds. So he remains in that space and really has confidence in his running ability, which he should.”
The other QB
Washington rookie Jayden Daniels had a respectable NFL debut, completing 17 of 24 passes for 184 yards and rushing for 88 yards. Quinn would like to see Daniels cut down on the runs from 16 at Tampa Bay, but that — like a lot of things — will come with experience, and the No. 2 pick out of LSU has bought into his first few games being a learning experience.
“I could grow in every aspect of my game,” Daniels said. “You watch the tape (and realize) it’s never as good as you thought it was, it’s never as bad as you thought it was, so you just move on.”
Manageable situations
There was a reason the Giants scored a league-low six points in the season opener. They didn’t play well on first down and hurt their chances of maintaining drives by losing 39 yards because of penalties.
Three of their five first-half drives featured second- and third-down plays of more than 13 yards. The longest of their 11 first-down plays in the first half was 7 yards. Most were 4 or less.
There was some improvement in the second half, but by that time the Vikings led 28-6.
Forbes out
Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes is scheduled to have surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb, according to a person with knowledge of the decision. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because the team had not announced the plan.
Forbes said Wednesday he initially planned to play Sunday.
Washington’s defensive problem
The Commanders got carved up by Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers in Week 1, allowing 392 yards and 37 points. That is not sustainable, and they know it.
“A lot of guys are feeling like we didn’t perform the way we wanted to perform,” Wagner said. “Just want to communicate better, want to be flying around, make more plays and just get off the field.”
Giants pressure
The question mark for the Giants’ defense has been its young secondary. New York lost safety Xavier McKinney to Green Bay in free agency and didn’t re-sign cornerback Adoree’ Jackson until just before the season opener. It left Jason Pinnock, Dane Belton and rookie Tyler Nubin at safety and Cor’Dale Flott, Deonte Banks and rookie Dru Phillips at cornerback.
The hope was the combination of defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and edge rushers Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns would pressure opposing quarterbacks and help the secondary. It didn’t happen against Minnesota, as Lawrence had the team’s only sack, Thibodeaux had a pressure and no tackles and Burns had four tackles and nothing else. They need to be better.
TODAY’S GAME
New York Giants (0-1) at Washington (0-1)
1 p.m. (WVBT)
BetMGM NFL odds: Commanders by 1½
Key matchup: Giants’ defense vs. the Commanders’ offensive line. Brian Burns and Thibodeaux were hardly difference-makers against Minnesota, and Washington is motivated to keep rookie QB Jayden Daniels upright and healthy. Daniels is expected to run less and stay in the pocket more, so there will be extra opportunities for New York to force the issue and more time for the offensive line to block.
Key injuries: Giants returner Gunner Olszewski is dealing with a groin injury. … WR Darius Slayton is in concussion protocol. … CB Nick McCloud and rookie LB Darius Muasau are day-to-day with knee injuries. … Commanders CB Emmanuel Forbes is expected to be out with with a thumb injury. … Commanders rookie DT Johnny Newton could make his NFL debut after missing Week 1 following offseason foot surgery.
