Once a question mark for Giants, Daniel Jones has become a strength

Brian Daboll knocked on his wooden interview lectern on Wednesday when a reporter asked him about Daniel Jones’ relative lack of turnovers this season.

But the Giants coach fielded so many positive questions about his quarterback it was a wonder he did not simply knock over the podium to guard against jinxes.

What was a question mark for the Giants entering the season has become a strength, most recently evidenced by the news Jones was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his work in last Sunday’s 23-17 victory over the Jaguars.

“Certainly, you say ‘congratulations’ on the achievement that he had for the week,” Daboll said before practice. “I thank all the other guys, too, for helping him out. You need everybody else for a quarterback, too.”

Jones agreed.  

“Definitely appreciate the recognition, but a lot went into that from a lot of guys,” he said. “Group effort, happy and appreciative, but understand that’s a team reward.”

That makes sense for a team that has surprised the football world with a 6-1 start entering Sunday’s game at Seattle.

But Jones’ performance has turned as many heads as any, and there is plenty of visual and statistical evidence to back him up.

For example: He has turned over the ball only four times in seven games — two fumbles and two interceptions — addressing what had been a major concern.

Daboll credited quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney with working with Jones in that area.

“I think that his decision-making process has been very good,” Daboll said. “We need to continue to improve on that. He’s kept two hands on the ball in the pocket.

“Sometimes, they’re just going to make a really good play on defense. I think he’s practiced with good habits.”

Said Jones: “I’m trying to make quicker decisions, trying to get the ball out of my hands as soon as possible . . . I’m certainly better at it than I’ve been in the past.”

Jones’ deft fakes to Saquon Barkley have sprung Jones for big runs in the opposite direction, helping him gain 107 rushing yards against the Jaguars — the most for a Giants quarterback since Frank Filchock in 1946.

“He’s good at it, or we wouldn’t be doing it,” Daboll said.

Said Jones: “I think it’s just practice. Saquon does a great job with it also. That’s something we work on, trying to make it look exactly like the run [to a back].”

Jones’ toughness in playing through an ankle sprain got the Giants through two victories, but it was evident in Jacksonville that he is 100% over that, given how often he was used as a runner.

Daboll and Jones both said Jones is fully recovered.

In short, Jones is having the best free-agency walk-year performance for a Giant since, well, OK, Barkley is doing the same thing across the locker room.

But still: It has been quite a start for the fourth-year quarterback, who has weathered a revolving door of coaches and philosophies but seems finally to have found a good fit with Daboll and his staff.

Jones has not exactly put on a Patrick Mahomes/Josh Allen-style air show, with six touchdown passes, 1,223 yards and a passer rating of 90.8.

But as he tries to prove to Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen that he is worth keeping after his contract expires at the conclusion of this season, things could not be going much better than this.

“I think you try to improve every week,” Jones said. “Each week’s different. I think I’m a better player than I was last year. I was a better player then than I was the year before.”

By Neil Best

neil.best@newsday.com@sportswatch

Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.