Brian Daboll 'optimistic' that Daniel Jones can play vs. Bills
Daniel Jones of the Giants leaves the field after an injury against the Dolphins during the fourth quarter at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday in Miami Gardens, Fla. Credit: Getty Images/Rich Storry
Maybe the Giants and quarterback Daniel Jones finally caught a break.
Regarding the neck injury Jones suffered Sunday early in the fourth quarter of the Giants’ 31-16 loss to the Dolphins, “I’d say we’re optimistic,” coach Brian Daboll said Monday. “I think he’s moving in the right direction’’ as far as Jones’ availability for Sunday’s game against the Bills in Buffalo. “[We will]) see where he is, obviously, when he comes back on Wednesday, but he doesn’t feel terrible today.”
Daboll said he did not know the results from the X-ray and scan that Jones had. “I’m waiting to meet with these doctors after, but I’m optimistic after talking to him,” he said.
About this week?
“Yeah,” Daboll said, “about this week.”
Jones left the game at Hard Rock Stadium after he was planted on a sack by Dolphins outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel. It was the sixth sack of Jones, who has been sacked 16 times in the past two games and 28 times in five games.
Jones missed the last six games in the 2021 season with a neck injury. In talking to reporters after Sunday’s game, he said he was in some pain and that his neck felt sore.
His return, if it comes against the Bills, may come with a caution flag: The Bills lead the league with 21 sacks. Meanwhile, the Giants have allowed 18 sacks — 18 — in their last two games. That is almost hard to believe.
Against the Dolphins, Jones was consistently under heavy pressure, completing 14 of 20 passes for 119 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. Tyrod Taylor finished the game, completed nine of 12 passes for 86 yards and was sacked once.
The Giants came up with three turnovers, including a 102-yard pick-6 by Jason Pinnock, but the offense was held without a touchdown. That’s the opposite of playing complementary football.
And that was the reason why tight end Darren Waller sought out the leaders on defense after the game to make sure they knew that the offense understands that it has to do more to help the cause.
“Yeah, I think it just shows accountability," inside linebacker Bobby Okereke said Monday, "and it shows [that] everybody knows it’s a team game. We’ve got to play complementary football.”
Okereke said he understands what Waller was feeling.
“I know that’s how we felt as a defense coming off that first half and them going down and scoring that touchdown on that big explosive play [to Tyreek Hill for a 69-yard TD],'' Okereke said. "Just felt bad for the offense because we felt like if we could have got them the ball back, it would’ve been a different game without that score. So we all just take our own individual responsibility and know we’ve got to play collectively good football.”
As Okereke has settled in as a leader on defense, the defense has improved. These days for the Giants, those are some of the only positives to acknowledge.
“I think just getting a better understanding of Wink’s system,'' Okereke said, referring to defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, "getting a better understanding of how my teammates play around me and just feeding myself with confidence and positivity. Just trying to do that for the guys in the group. You’ve got to have faith, you’ve got to believe in yourself even when other people don’t, and that’s how we are going to turn this thing around.”
It's going to take a lot for the Giants (1-4) to turn this season around.
But getting Jones back — and having him upright — could be a place to start.
Kimberly Jones covers the Giants for Newsday, a beat she first worked in the early 2000s before joining the YES Network to cover the Yankees. She worked for the NFL Network for more than a decade and has been heard semi-regularly on WFAN.
