Daniel Jones has been turning heads this season and that continued on Sunday. The New York Giants quarterback led his team to a dominant win over the Colts to clinch a playoff berth.
The Giants started out 6-1 but stumbled through November and December, holding an 8-6-1 record heading into Week 17. They blew out the Colts 38-10 and are heading to the postseason for the first time since the 2016 season.
Shaun Morash and Paul Dottino of the Audacy Original Podcast “One Giant Step” talked about Jones’ play and the atmosphere in Metlife Stadium during the Giants’ clinching win over the Colts.
“It had been a long time coming for the Metlife crowd, the Giants crowd, to experience something like this,” Morash said (3:07 in player above). “Oh, by the way, may I add a final cherry-on-top coronation of the Giant quarterback getting chants of ‘DJ! DJ!’ and then getting taken out a hero’s salute for the crowd to cheer for him as Tyrod came in. Holy crap… The quarterback who once got booed at Yankee Stadium while throwing out a first pitch is getting heroic chants taken out of games. Unbelievable day!”
“I’m glad you brought up the chants for Daniel Jones,” Dottino said. “They gave Eli Manning chants several years ago when he played his last home game … but to be frank with you, Shaun, there were a lot of no-shows that day… Not (on Sunday).
“The chants for Daniel Jones came from a virtual full house and that’s what not only made it reminiscent but even all the more special, especially since this kid had been beaten up by so many of his critics over the years. I immediately thought of the significance of it and I was glad that not only Jones had it brought up to by the media, but some of his teammates addressed it after the game.”
Jones was tremendous in the playoff-clinching win. He went 19 of 24 through the air for 177 yards and two touchdowns while adding two rushing touchdowns on 91 yards. He deserved every second of those chants.
“When Daniel Jones got taken out of this game and you hear the crowd chanting … and you see guys like Dexter Lawrence, Saquon, Sterling Shepard even off of there, Leonard Williams, all of these guys – Andrew Thomas – who have experienced essentially nothing but losing for the most part here since they’ve all been Giants – Julian Love – and all coming to hug that quarterback that so many have been ready to run out of town. To me, that was an emotional moment,” Morash said.
Related
“That was a moment of ‘we are worthy,’ Paul, we are worthy of this moment to go to the postseason and that these guys who have known nothing but losing experience what this felt like and seeing a Giant crowd that wanted nothing more for them to succeed. That was some special stuff (on Sunday). It really was.”
This wasn’t the first time that Jones put up a good showing in a must-win game, either. He’s been silencing his critics all year and those critics were drowned out by Metlife Stadium’s chants on Sunday.
“I think it was very important for this franchise and for Daniel Jones to have that moment, Shaun, because let’s face it, we’ve discussed this before, in terms of ‘must-win scenarios,’ Daniel Jones is now 3-0,” Dottino said. “Beat Dallas two years ago in the finale when he had to have it at Metlife Stadium. He helped beat Washington a couple of weeks ago down in Washington in prime time when most people, again, they didn’t understand the math but it was viewed as a must-win game. It was certainly viewed as a must-win game (on Sunday) in the home of Metlife, and he came through in flying colors.”
Jones and the Giants will head to Philadelphia for a rather meaningless game in Week 18 while waiting to find out who they will play in their first playoff game since the 2016 season.
Related
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram