The Giants suffered a devastating loss on Thursday night, but a silver lining was the performance of Daniel Jones against a formidable Washington defense.
Jones completed 22 of his 32 passes for 249 yards and a touchdown, while running for 95 yards on the ground, to finish with a 90.7 passing grade, per Pro Football Focus. That’s easily the highest mark of his career, his previous high being 79.5 against the Steelers to open up last season.
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In reality, Jones’ numbers should have looked even better. With the score tied at seven apiece in the second quarter, Jones broke off a 58-yard touchdown run, but it was called back on a questionable holding call downfield. Then, in the fourth, Jones heaved a pass to the end zone, where a wide open Darius Slayton dropped a sure touchdown after a blown coverage by Washington left him 20 yards away from the nearest defender.
Per PFF, Jones was the highest-graded player in Thursday night’s game, on either team.
The Jones/Slayton connection did come through earlier in the game, when Jones showed off his deep ball ability by dropping a 33-yard touchdown pass right in Slayton’s lap in stride, giving the Giants the lead late in the third quarter. Jones showed an ability to fit the ball in tight windows all night, surely an encouraging sign for a New York team in a crucial part of its rebuilding, assessing who should be a part of the team’s long-term plans.
Jones’ inclusion in that plan has been in question after another lackluster season last year, and in Week 1, his turnover demons resurfaced with a backbreaking fumble in the red zone against Denver, but he took care of the ball on Thursday night, flexed his well-known playmaking ability with his legs, and surprised some with his arm.
If Thursday night was a foreshadowing of what Jones can be at his best, against a tough defense and a division rival, then New York’s previously lackluster offense might have some life.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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