Before the NFL season started, analysts were putting up lists of potential quarterback trade targets for the New York Giants.
The team declined Daniel Jones‘ fifth-year option, and his days as a member of the G-Men — or even as a starter in the league look numbered.
But Brian Daboll’s tutelage and some remarkable mental strength have made Jones look like a legit franchise quarterback, and he proved it with a playoff debut for the ages.
The Duke product was nearly-perfect in the Giants’ upset road win over the Minnesota Vikings, becoming the first QB with 300+ passing yards, 70+ rushing yards, 2+ touchdowns, and no turnovers in a playoff game.
Daniel Jones officially took the next step.
First player in NFL history with 300+ passing yards, 2+ TD passes and 70+ rushing yards in a playoff game.
And more importantly, no turnovers. pic.twitter.com/GNkLpflPzv
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 16, 2023
Just last season, Jones was a turnover waiting to happen, an erratic QB who often crumbled under pressure and struggled to read defenses in real time.
Now, he’s finally learning how to make the most of his impressive running skills.
He’s been poised, calm, and in control, and that has had plenty to do with the Giants’ surge under Daboll.
He couldn’t have asked for a better time to have the best season of his young NFL career, as he’ll now have plenty of offers sitting on his table and has all but secured a very, very lucrative contract for the next four or five years.
The Giants will now travel to the City of Brotherly Love for a tough clash with the top-seeded Philadelphia Eagles.
And while it’s unlikely they beat the best team in the NFC, it seems like they weren’t wrong when they took Jones to carry Eli Manning‘s torch at MetLife Stadium.
