Tag: daniel jones
Giants’ Jones: ‘I think those were costly mistakes for us that I have to continue to work on and improve’
The Giants concluded the first half of their season just as they started it, facing one of the NFL’s best teams in MetLife Stadium on Monday Night Football.
On Sept. 14, they hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers in Joe Judge’s first game as head coach. The Giants jumped to a 10-3 lead in the second quarter but were eventually worn down by a team that won by 10 points and almost two months later still hasn’t lost a game.
But the promise of that night devolved into an unfulfilling half-season. The Giants have lost leads, close games and, far too often, the ball. Those recurring elements were on display again Monday night in a 25-23 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Giants might have pulled the game out had it not been for a questionable non-call on a late two-point conversion attempt (more on that later).
The Giants’ last three losses – to Dallas, Philadelphia and Tampa Bay – have been by a total of six points. And they held a fourth-quarter lead in each of them. In earlier defeats to Chicago and the Los Angeles Rams, they had a chance to win or tie the game in the final moments but came up short.
“I think any competitor that’s playing in this league wants to win and wants to improve and show that by results,” linebacker Blake Martinez said. “It’s a results business. So yeah, it’s definitely tough, and you want to go out there, after all the hard work, and come out with a win.”
“You talk about closing out the games. To me, closing out the games starts at the opening kickoff,” Judge said. “It’s a culmination of everything you’ve done for 60 minutes. Again, it’s never one player’s mistake, it’s everything collectively. There’s a lot of things that go into it, it’s a coach’s call, it’s how everything operates together on the offense or defense. It’s never one play that eliminates you in a game. It’s the effect of different plays throughout the game that add up.”
On Monday, the Giants owned an 11-point lead in the second quarter and an eight-point advantage at halftime. But Daniel Jones threw interceptions on the second play of the third quarter (leading to a Bucs field goal) and early in the fourth (setting up Tampa Bay’s go-ahead touchdown on Tom Brady’s eight-yard pass to Mike Evans).
“I think those were costly mistakes for us that I have to continue to work on and improve,” Jones said.
The second-year quarterback also overthrew Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton when they were open down the field.
On each of the picks, Buccaneers linebacker Shaquil Barrett had a fistful of Jones’ jersey in his hand and the throws were short. The first was picked off by Carlton Davis, the second by Sean Murphy-Bunting. Jones was asked if it would have been wise to hold onto the ball and go onto the next play.
“I think that’s certainly what I have to do is those situations,” he said. “When you’re out there competing and playing hard, you have to be able to understand that part of the game and understand when (the play) is over. I have to do a lot better job there.”
Jones has thrown nine interceptions this season. In every one of his 20 starts, he has thrown an interception or fumbled or both and his 36 turnovers since the start of the 2019 season lead the NFL.
“We’re just going to keep on coaching hard,” Judge said. “We’ve got to find inventive ways coaching it and drilling it. Then, as the player keeps on working, he’ll experience it through play, but there’s a lot of things we have to improve on collectively as coaches and as an entire team to help take him out of some of those situations right there, and it starts with me and we’ve got to keep making sure we put him in the best position possible.”
Of course, Jones has had his share of inspiring and uplifting moments and he was at his best on the Giants’ final drive, when he put them in position to tie the game and perhaps pull out a thrilling victory.
Ryan Succop’s fourth field goal of the game, a 38-yarder, stretched Tampa Bay’s lead to 25-17. The Giants took possession at their own 30-yard line with 3:34 remaining and no timeouts. Jones twice converted fourth downs, including a fourth-and-16 on a 20-yard pass to Shepard. With 28 seconds remaining, he connected with Golden Tate for a 19-yard touchdown to lift the Giants to within 25-23.
A successful two-point conversion likely would have sent the game into overtime. Jones took the snap and threw to his right for Dion Lewis, who had caught his first touchdown pass of the night. Rookie safety Antoine Winfield, Jr. seemed to collide with Lewis just as the ball was bouncing off his right arm.
An official threw his flag. But after a long discussion, referee Brad Rogers announced that no penalty had been committed. The Giants were two still two points shy of their second victory.
“I thought it was pass interference and was surprised when they picked it up,” Jones said. “So, we’ll watch it and learn from it and see what they say. Tough break.”
“I thought (the official) made the right call when he threw the flag,” Judge said. “I’m not sure why it got picked up, we had a pretty good view, I know they can’t use the jumbotron to replay. We had a pretty clear view of that as well. I thought (the official) made the right call the first time, and I thought normally your first instinct is right. That’s all I’m going to say about the officiating.”
Rogers spoke to a pool reporter after the game.
“The side judge (Eugene Hall) had the flag thrown on the play and came to the down judge (Jerod Phillips) who was on that side of the goal line,” Rogers said. “The communication between the side judge and the down judge was that the defender contacted the receiver simultaneously as the ball came in. And in order to have defensive pass interference, it has to be clearly early and hinder the receiver’s ability to make the catch.
“You want to make sure that it meets the qualifications for pass interference. And in our communication on the field, the down judge and the side judge communicated about the action and believed that it was appropriate to pick that flag up.”
The Giants got several solid performances, including Wayne Gallman’s 62 yards from scrimmage, Shepard’s eight catches for 74 yards and Jabrill Peppers’ 10 tackles and two pass breakups.
But in the end, turnovers contributed to another lost lead and another close defeat.
“We were able to make some big plays tonight down the stretch,” Judge said. “Ultimately, we have to overcome some mistakes, and we have to improve collectively as a coaching staff and as a team to give ourselves the best chance to be successful. We’re not asking for moral victories. We understand the people of New York deserve better, so we got to keep working to be better for them.”
They get their next chance Sunday in Washington.
Via: giants.com
Giants’ Jones: ‘I think everyone on this team feels like we’ve been in the position to win games’
The New York Giants had a great chance to get their first victory of the year on Sunday. However, after leading 17-3 in the second quarter, the Giants(0-5) would allow the Dallas Cowboys(2-3) to get back into the game, and ultimately, the Cowboys would defeat New York 37-34 at AT&T Stadium.
While the horrific injury to Dak Prescott may have overshadowed the game, this was an exciting contest. Prescott would leave in the third quarter with a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle. After relinquishing the lead, the Giants were able to take the go-ahead of Dallas midway through the fourth quarter 34-31 when Devonta Freeman scored on a seven-yard touchdown run.
However, Cowboys backup QB Andy Dalton led the team on two scoring drives, which allowed the Cowboys to tie the game and ultimately win at the buzzer when Greg Zuerlein hit a 37-yard field goal. It was Zuerlein’s second field goal in the final 1:56 after the Giants had taken a 34-31 lead.
The Giants’ 34 points was their highest total since their 41-35 overtime victory in Washington on Dec. 22, 2019. They had scored a total of 47 points and had not scored more than 16 points in their first four games. The 34 points are great, but New York is still 0-5.
“Look, obviously they’re disappointed after any game where we don’t come out winners, but one thing I know about our team is it’s a resilient group, and it’s a hard-working bunch,” Giants head coach Joe Judge said after the game. “We’ll come back to work this week, we’re going to see great energy, we’re going to have great focus, and we’re going to get tuned in and ready for another division opponent. All of our focus, whether it’s win or loss, shifts to the next opponent the next morning anyway, so we’ve got to clean up this game, get ready for the next opponent, and move on forward.”
According to Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, who was 20/33 for 222 yards with no touchdowns and lost a fumble that was returned for a touchdown, New York has to continue to stay the course.
“I think it’s been a tough start. To say we aren’t disappointed, would be a lie,” Jones said after the game. “We certainly are, it’s been a tough start. I don’t think anyone on this team is discouraged. We’re not going to allow ourselves to be discouraged and let this start affect the rest of this season. We have a lot of football ahead of us, and I think everyone on this team feels like we’ve been in the position to win games, we’ve improved as a team, and we’re capable of winning each of these games.
“So in terms of our confidence as a team and what we believe we’re capable of doing, I think that’s going to be the important thing in us finishing strong and winning these games down the stretch. So, that’s where we are as a team, we’re disappointed, we want to win every game, but we’re not going to let it affect our preparation and how we approach these next 11 games.”
Even at 0-5, New York still has a shot in the lousy NFC East. The Giants are two games behind the Cowboys in the division. The next few weeks for New York is vital as they play division foes Philadelphia and Washington, which Jones discussed after the game
“Yeah, all these divisional games are big games and important games,” Jones said. “Certainly, like I said, at this point we’ve lost, but I don’t feel like we’re out of the division at all. We have a couple big games coming up, and all we can do is prepare as hard as we can and be ready to play those games. Like I said, we’re not going to let this game affect us going forward, and how we prepare for the next opportunity.”
At this point, the Giants are not a good football team, but they played well against the Cowboys, which could be something to build on in the coming weeks.
Giants’ Jones on loss to 49ers: ‘We know that we’re capable of playing a lot better than we did today’
After three games, the 2020 New York Giants are looking a lot like the 2019 version of this team, which finished 4-12. On Sunday against the 49ers, Giants QB Daniel Jones had two turnovers (interception, fumble), and New York(0-3) was routed by San Francisco(2-1) 36-9 at MetLife Stadium.
In three games, Jones, who had 23 turnovers last season, has turned the ball over six times, including four interceptions. New York had only 231 yards of total offense on Sunday, and they did not run a play in the red zone. The second-year quarterback finished the game 17/32, 179 yards, one interception.
“I think you look at each one of those individually and try to understand what happened, what the mistake was, and move on from it,” Jones said after the game. “You know, I need to do a better job, and that’s something I’m focused on. I think those are costly mistakes, and I certainly need to correct them.”
Defensively, New York allowed 49ers backup QB Nick Mullens to throw for 343 yards and one touchdown. The Giants could not get off the field, and were unable to force the 49ers to punt. However, even with the struggles, DE Leonard Williams believes New York has a good football team.
“I do think we do have a really good team and a tough team, and I never see any quit in this team. I believe that we’re right there and we just need to fix a few pieces and a few little gaps here and there and stop beating ourselves,” Williams said. “It’s already hard to beat a team, and it’s going to be harder when we’re making mistakes on ourselves as well, so I just think that we need to overcome a few of those mistakes that we’ve been making and just keep playing hard.”
Jones echoed Williams’ sentiment, and he believes the team will improve moving forward.
“I think for us as a team, and for everyone in the building, it’s important that we correct the things that went wrong,” Jones said. “We understand what went wrong and we’ll improve from this game, and not to let it define us as a team. We know that we’re capable of playing a lot better than we did today. I think there were a lot of things that happened that were uncharacteristic of who we are and what we can be.
“As a team, we need to understand that we need to move forward and go back to work determined to play better and to fix the things that have gotten in our way these first few weeks. We’re not going to let it affect our confidence; we’re certainly not going to let it affect how we work and how hard we attack this week, how hard we attack the preparation towards the Rams. I think we have the guys in the locker room to do it, and that mindset and that approach this week will be key.”
The Giants have to get better play out of Jones. He has a lot of ability, but the turnovers continue to get in the way. It’s still early, and the Giants play in a lousy division. However, at 0-3, if things don’t turn around fast, it could be another long season in New York. Hopefully, for New York, the turnaround starts next week on the road against the Rams.
Giants’ Jones: ‘Definitely tough to see anyone go down, especially a guy that works as hard as Saquon(Barkley)’
On Sept. 22, 2019, Saquon Barkley was carted off the field at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa with a sprained ankle that subsequently forced him to miss three games, the first absences of his career.
Fast forward to exactly 52 weeks later, on Sunday afternoon in Soldier Field in Chicago. The Giants’ third-year running back again needed assistance to get to the locker room. This time, the injury is to his right knee, suffered on the first play of the second quarter of a 17-13 loss to the Chicago Bears. How long he will be sidelined was not immediately known.
Barkley will undergo a thorough examination on Monday. And while the news could be bad, coach Joe Judge put up a brave front.
“Obviously we’re all praying for the best,” Judge said in a postgame Zoom call with reporters. “I would just say this, regardless of whatever the outcome is going to be and what the doctors say tomorrow, I wouldn’t fall asleep on 26. It’s going to be a hell of a story either way.”
The Giants hope it is one with a happy ending. But they are aware Barkley could be sidelined for an extended period.
“Definitely tough to see anyone go down, especially a guy that works as hard as Saquon does,” quarterback Daniel Jones said. “And, you know, we don’t know what it is yet, but certainly keeping our thoughts and prayers with him. He’s a guy that comes to work every day. I know he’ll attack any challenge, and we’re all here to support him. So, yeah, always tough to see a teammate go down.
“I don’t think anyone knows exactly what the injury is or what that sets us up for. So, dealing in hypotheticals right now isn’t the most productive thing. But whatever it is, we’ll respond as a team and do the best we can going forward.”
Barkley wasn’t the only key offensive player to leave the game with an injury. Wide receiver Sterling Shepard, who led the Giants with 57 catches last season despite missing six games, hurt his toe in the second quarter and did not return.
The unfortunate irony is this was the first game in which the Giants had all their offensive weapons in uniform at the same time. In addition to Barkley and Shepard, wide receivers Golden Tate and Darius Slayton and tight end Evan Engram all played.
“Certainly, a tough break there for us today,” Jones said. “But I know those guys will battle and I think they’ll attack the challenge and we’re excited to support them, and we’ll have guys step up. So whatever the situation is, we’ll attack it and respond as a team.”
Barkley was hurt as he was running right. He gained six yards before cornerback Eddie Jackson came up to stop him, grabbed Barkley high and threw him to the ground. Barkley’s right leg seemed to land awkwardly and as soon as he hit the ground, he grabbed his knee and then removed his helmet.
Barkley did not put weight on his leg as he was helped to the bench area by Judge and assistant athletic trainer Justin Maher. He was placed on a cart and transported to the locker room. The Giants announced Barkley would not return to the game and will undergo an examination on Monday.
“In terms of carrying Saquon off the field that was just simply he’s a big dude and I wanted to make sure we get him over there with the least amount of stress on his leg as possible, and tried to just take the weight off,” Judge said.
Although he had just four carries, Barkley led the Giants Sunday with 28 rushing yards. Wayne Gallman was inactive, so eight-year veteran Dion Lewis took over at running back. He finished with 20 yards on 10 carries, including a one-yarder for the Giants’ only touchdown, and four catches for 36 yards.
Lewis, who joined the team as a free agent on April 1, said he is prepared to take on a larger role if necessary. But for both team and personal reason, he would much prefer it not be at the expense of his friend and teammate.
“He’s Saquon Barkley, so you lose a guy like that, it’s a huge loss,” Lewis said. “But you know, as a team, everybody’s gotta step up. Receivers gotta step up, O-line’s gotta step up, running backs have gotta step up, quarterback’s gotta step up, defense has gotta step up, everybody has gotta step up. It’s not going to be one person who steps up to make up for what he’s done, it’s going to take all of us.”
Lewis said he spoke to Barkley after the game.
“I just told him to keep his head up, stay positive, believe in God,” Lewis said. “Nobody knows what’s really going on right now, so just try to keep his head up. He’s a great kid, and we’ve grown extremely close since I’ve been here, so you know, definitely feel for him.”
Defensive players echoed Lewis’ concern.
“It’s definitely a tough moment,” linebacker Blake Martinez said. “I don’t know exactly what’s going on completely, but I saw him and said, ‘Hey, I’m praying for a quick recovery for whatever it ends up being.’ I hope to see him back as soon as possible.”
“Of course, your heart stops for a minute,” cornerback James Bradberry said. “But we really don’t know the verdict of Saquon’s injury right now, so prayers up to him and we’re hoping for the best.”
Shepard was injured on a 24-yard reception with just eight seconds left in the half. He was stopped by rookie cornerback Jaylon Johnson. Shepard returned to the sideline at the start of the second half but soon returned to the locker room.
“Looked like the defensive back landed on his foot at the end of the first half,” Judge said. “He caught that big ball across the middle in that two-minute sequence. He tried to play through it. Obviously, it was something he couldn’t really run full speed on. So, we’ll see what the doctor says.”
The Giants will know much more about the condition of Barkley and Shepard after they are examined on Monday.
Courtesy: giants.com
Giants’ Jones: ‘I certainly feel like I played good at times and bad at times’
For all NFL teams, each game is a collision of good and bad, of highlights to be savored and lowlights to endure. It is a tussle to maximize the positive while striving to eliminate the negative.
So it was for the Giants in their season opener Monday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers. They had plenty of moments to build on offensively and defensively, players who performed impressively and plays that would have brought cheering fans out of their seats – had there actually been fans in the seats.
But plenty of disappointing plays also punctuated the Giants’ 26-16 loss in Joe Judge’s coaching debut in empty and silent MetLife Stadium.
Indeed, all the good and the bad were on display in one third-quarter possession, when the Giants traveled 87 yards – from their own nine-yard line to the Pittsburgh four – yet inexplicably and hauntingly scored zero points because Daniel Jones – under pressure from linebacker Bud Dupree – floated a pass to Darius Slayton that was intercepted by defensive tackle Cameron Heyward – the first pick of his 10-year career.
T.J. Watt had intercepted a Jones’ pass in the second quarter and those two turnovers led to nine Steelers points, a not insignificant number in a game decided by 10 points.
“He had two throws I know he wants back. Down at the goal line, that’s something we can’t have happen,” Judge said. “Look, I’ll talk to Daniel a little bit more about it, I’ll watch the tape and make sure we clean up everything involved. That’s definitely something you can’t have, 19-play drive and come away with no points, especially down there in the low red (zone). That’s not acceptable, but I’m proud of the way he played aggressive, I’m proud of the way this team stuck together.”
Jones completed numerous pinpoint passes despite absorbing three sacks and constant pressure from Pittsburgh’s ravenous defense. The numbers were 26-of-41 for 279 yards.
Fellow second-year pro Darius Slayton caught six of those throws for 102 yards and scored both of the Giants’ touchdowns, from 41 and seven yards (the latter with 1:52 remaining and the Giants in catch-up mode). Sterling Shepard and Saquon Barkley also had six catches each.
But Barkley and the running game couldn’t gain traction behind the Giants’ new-look offensive line. He rushed for only six yards on 15 carries. Jones led the team with 22 yards on four attempts.
“I’m not really too concerned with the stats,” Barkley said. “You have to give credit where credit is due. They have a great defense, especially their defensive front. They made some plays and we weren’t able to win the game today.”
Defensively, new middle linebacker and captain Blake Martinez tallied a team-high 12 tackles (eight solo) and linemen Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence registered sacks. But the unit did not force a turnover and Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed 21 of 32 passes for 229 yards and three touchdowns, two to JuJu Smith-Schuster.
“This is a team that makes a lot of explosive plays,” Judge said. “I think [defensive coordinator] Pat [Graham] was able to limit some of the production early on, really do a good job against the run game early on, forced them to be one-dimensional, put a lot of pressure on Ben. That was good for our defense, that limited some of the exposure the guys had. They made adjustments, they’re a good team, they’re going to take some shots down the field. That’s a very talented team, very talented offensive skill group. When you play the Steelers, you have to understand they’re going to make plays.”
The Giants are convinced they should have made more. On the game’s eighth snap, Pittsburgh’s Diontae Johnson muffed a Riley Dixon punt and Devante Downs recovered the ball for the Giants at the Pittsburgh three. Barkley gained one yard before Jones threw a pair of incompletions, forcing Graham Gano to kick his first Giants field goal, a 21-yarder.
After the Steelers tied the score on Chris Boswell’s 41-yard field goal, Slayton beat cornerback Steven Nelson and caught Jones’ perfect strike to put the Giants back on top. The defense forced a three-and-out, but Watt intercepted Jones on the Giants’ first play, leading to Roethlisberger’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Smith-Schuster. Boswell’s extra point try bounced off the right upright and the Giants still held the lead at 10-9.
But they couldn’t hold it until halftime. The Steelers took possession at their own 22 with 1:32 remaining in the second quarter. They never faced a third down as Roethlisberger directed an eight-play, 78-yard drive that ended with a 13-yard touchdown pass to James Washington with seven seconds left that gave Pittsburgh a 16-10 lead it never relinquished.
“We have to do better at the end of the half, we have to finish ourselves in the red area, so those are the big things that stuck out right there,” Judge said.
The Giants seemed poised to jump back ahead in the third quarter, when they executed their longest drive in six years. The Giants converted five third downs on the series, the first when Jones hit Slayton for 18 yards on third-and-14 before gaining 15, four and six yards on successive third downs, concluding with a five-yard pass to Sterling Shepard that kept the march moving. Barkley’s longest run of the night, a seven-yarder, left the Giants just four yards from the goal line. But Dupree’s pressure forced Jones to throw while he was falling backwards and Heyward’s interception proved to be a gut punch to the Giants.
“Obviously a play I’d like to have back,” Jones said. “I’d like to have a chance to look at it with the coaches tomorrow and we’ll look into it. That’s a costly mistake there after a long drive, so… you know, something I got to work on and improve on. … We can’t afford those mistakes in those situations.”
After the pick, the Steelers ran 20 plays and scored 10 points while the Giants ran three and punted. The Giants did not score again until the game was virtually out of reach.
“I think as an offense, I thought we did some good things and some not so good things,” Jones said, “and I certainly feel like I played good at times and bad at times.”
He wasn’t alone.
Giants’ Slayton believes Jones is a different player in 2020
With the NFL season almost upon us, all 32 teams are optimistic about the possibilities, including the New York Giants. Last season, the Giants struggled and finished 4-12, which was expected. As they enter the 2020 season, New York has a new coach in Joe Judge, and they could have their franchise quarterback in Daniel Jones.
In 2019, Jones, who was the sixth overall pick in that year’s draft, came into the season as Eli Manning’s backup. As he enters the 2020 season, Jones, who threw for 3027 yards and 24 touchdowns last season, is the starting quarterback for New York, and according to Giants WR Darius Slayton, Jones is a different guy.
“I think the biggest area of growth for him is just taking a big step from year one to year two as far as just command, and that comes with obviously, coming into a new system this year, learning and getting it down,” Slayton said on Thursday. “But, I think one thing that he grew as the season went on last year was his command, and I think he’s continued to build on that this year as far as his command of the huddle. At the line of scrimmage, being sure of himself, being assertive. I think he’s done a great job of also developing his leadership skills as well.”
Giants president and CEO, John Mara, is confident that Jones can be the guy for the team moving forward.
“I feel good about him right now, the amount of work he’s put in, the way he’s looked at camp,” Mara said. “I’d like to see him take the next step this year. I’m confident that he will do that. The thing that is gratifying to me is that I know our coaching staff is very high on him right now. Guys that have been around successful quarterbacks in the past, and they think that he has what it takes to get us to the next level. Every indication so far is that he does have what it takes. I feel good about where Daniel is right now. Obviously, we want to see him move to the next level. But I think he did a good job last year. Obviously, he had the issue with the (NFL-high 23) turnovers. But he showed a lot of grit and a lot of promise and made a lot of big plays. I think with the right supporting cast around him, I think the sky is the limit for him.”
It will be difficult for teams to be a cohesive unit from the start without a preseason. Still, at this point, Jones is confident in the Giants’ offense as they get ready for the season-opener against Pittsburgh.
“We’ve done a good job as a team simulating some of those preseason games and trying to get reps with a game feel to it, practicing a lot of situations and a lot of things that would come up during games,” Jones said. “I feel like as a team, as an offense, we are in a good spot. We’ve had a good camp and made progress every day towards where we need to be. Next week, we’ll be into game prep and into Week One. I feel like we’ve had a good camp, and we’ve been able to simulate a lot of the game like situations that you would have gotten in the preseason.”
Giants RB Saquon Barkley added this about not having a preseason: “My first really live-action has been Week One to be completely honest. But as a team, I think even though we haven’t faced any other teams, I think from the coaching staff, they did a really good job this camp of simulating what it’s actually going to be like. I see what you guys say about practice, how it’s hard, and this and that. But I think it’s done a really good job for us because we needed that. Like you said, the preseason has gone away. We also did a really good job of getting guys opportunities and chances to show what we’re able to do and what we’re able to bring to the table, and also prepare us and get us ready for the first game of the year.”
Teams that have good quarterbacks always have a chance in the NFL, and for the Giants, who have won only nine games in the last two seasons, Jones’ improvement and command of the offense could make things better for this team in 2020.
Photo: Giants.com
Giants’ Nick Gates can do it all
Nick Gates’ Wikipedia page offers scant information in its four short paragraphs, but it does include this nugget: “He can play at either tackle or guard positions on the offensive line.”
That line must be updated, because when the Giants open their 2020 season two weeks from tonight against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Gates has a chance to be the starting center.
Joe Judge has revealed very little about job competitions in training camp, but he did admit after the team’s first scrimmage 10 days ago that the contest at center between Spencer Pulley and Gates is “scratch even.”
In one respect, that is a tribute to Gates. Because while Pulley has made all 26 of his career starts at center, Gates never played the position until camp began. In three seasons at the University of Nebraska, he started 10 games at right tackle and the last 25 on the left side. Gates joined the Giants as a rookie free agent in 2018 but missed his entire rookie season after suffering a training camp ankle injury. Last year, he played in all 16 games, starting two at right tackle and one at right guard.
What’s been the biggest challenge moving to the middle?
“Honestly, just mentally, getting the playbook, getting in and just knowing what to do with every single front the defense gives us,” Gates said today. “Our defense gives us a lot of different things to look at, mix it up a lot. That’s probably the biggest thing, but it’s good for me to get out there against our defense and see all that. Because we are most likely not going to get this much different stuff in a game when we go to a real live game.
“I think mentally I’m thinking about so much, I don’t really think about the physical part, like the technique part and snapping the ball. It’s kind of nice to go out there and think and try to do the play. By the time I give the calls, I’m ready to go and I don’t have to think about it too much.”
Pulley did not participate in the team’s Friday night scrimmage, so Gates anchored the starting line.
“I thought Nick Gates did a good job in the middle, commanding the calls and getting everyone on the same page,” Judge said. “I thought he played with a lot of toughness the other night.”
Gates is listed at 6-5 and 312 pounds. The first measurement is considered a bit tall for a center (though Pulley is 6-4 and 306 pounds), but Gates’ height is perfectly fine for line coach Marc Colombo.
“We like big centers,” Colombo said. “I worked with (five-time Pro Bowler) Travis Frederick (who is 6-4, 320) in Dallas and he’s a big center. Big, athletic, strong. We’re looking for centers that can anchor the middle. One of the biggest things is getting depth right off the bat at center, just so he can kind of be the ultimate helper in there. It’s working his set. It’s working the depth of his sets, it’s working the calls, the line stunts, that type of stuff. He just has to see it all.
“(Gates) is new to the position, so he’s seeing stuff for the first time. As we get him more reps and give him more looks, he’s going to become more confident. That’s on us coaches to keep giving him and keep pushing him and challenging him every day as he keeps getting better. That’s something that we try to do every single day.”
Communication, both verbal and silent, is vital on any successful offensive line. The Giants’ only returning starters up front are guards Kevin Zeitler and Will Hernandez, so developing those interactions is an ongoing process.
“It takes time,” Gates said. “We didn’t get OTA’s together, which doesn’t hurt us, but that time helps get the kinks and little things out of the way then. So, when you come to training camp you know the offense, you know the technique and you know how each person plays. It helps during that. I think we’re doing a good job playing off each other. Me, Will and Zeitler have been together with each other for the last two years. We kind of understand each other on the inside.”
And that is helping Gates settle in quite nicely in the center of the O-line.
“Nick’s done a really good job with that,” Colombo said. “We need to keep pushing him, keep showing him everything so it’s not the first time he sees it when we’re out there playing a real game.”
“It’s the first time I have been in charge of the line, it’s nice,” Gates said. “It’s a lot more responsibility mentally. It’s something I am getting used to.”
Courtesy: Giants.com
Giants’ Judge on Jones: ‘He’s definitely a guy who’s taken a leadership role on this team’
Leaders lead, and it appears New York Giants QB Daniel Jones is stepping up as a leader for his team. Jones, who is entering his second year in the NFL, is now the man for New York.
Before the Giants played their intrasquad scrimmage on Friday night at MetLife Stadium, Jones led the team huddle, which is something he did not do last season.
“It was just an opportunity to get the guys together,” Jones said about breaking the team down after the scrimmage on Friday night. “Getting everybody fired up and ready to go. It was the first opportunity to be here in the stadium. We had uniforms on and the simulation of a game, so I think guys were excited and just wanted to kind of continue that excitement and add to it if I could. But I think guys were focused; guys were locked in. It was fun to get back out there on the field.
According to Giants head coach Joe Judge, Jones has been a leader for the Giants so far this offseason.
“Look, we’ve had a number of guys break the team down,” Judge said. “We have different guys break them down every day. But if you’re asking about Daniel’s leadership, he’s definitely a guy who’s taken a leadership role on this team. That’s been evident with the way he comes to work every day, the way he holds himself and the way he practices and prepares, and then the way he performs when he gets into competitive situations. In terms of him calling up, I don’t know if it’s new to somebody else to see. For us, it’s no surprise. He’s in a position where he’s in front of the team on a daily basis. For us, it’s just business as usual.”
On Friday, Jones unofficially completed eight of 11 passes for 88 yards, but as a whole, he was happy with his team’s offensive performance.
“Overall, as a group, as an offense, we did some good things and moved the ball at times,” he said. “I don’t think we were consistent enough through the course of the scrimmage, and we left some plays out there. I certainly did, and need to look at a few things. Like I said, overall, we did some good things and some encouraging things. But I think in any situation like this, there are going to be things that you have to clean up; there are going to be things we’ll work on and look to improve here going forward.”
For the Giants, seeing Jones become a leader has to be exciting. In reality, if he plays well this season, players will most definitely be willing to follow his lead.
Photo/courtesy: Giants.com
Giants’ Tate on Daniel Jones: ‘He’s ripped’
New York Giants QB Daniel Jones had a very good rookie season. In 12 starts, Jones threw for 3027 yards with 24 touchdowns, but as with most rookies, there were some struggles. Jones had 12 interceptions and led the NFL with 18 fumbles, which was the fifth-most in league history.
Even with the turnovers, Jones gave the New York Giants a lot of hope, and in the offseason, he worked on his body. The 25-year-old Jones, who was 220 pounds as a rookie, came to camp at around 230. Earlier this month, Jones talked about what he did to get bigger and stronger.
“I feel good. I feel like I’m as strong as I’ve been,” Jones said. “I feel like I’m in good shape. I was in Charlotte for most of the offseason and training there. I wanted to get stronger and wanted to gain some weight for what that does for every part of my game, standing in the pocket, running when I need to, and obviously throwing the ball as efficiently as I can using my strength, my lower body. Each piece of that was part of the goal of the offseason in my training.”
Giants wide receiver Golden Tate III, who spent some time working out with Jones in the offseason, is impressed by Jones’ body and how he has performed at camp.
“For one, the guy is ripped now,” Tate said during a video call on Wednesday. “The guy is solid, a very solid guy, I love seeing that. He put on some muscle. DJ is who he was last year. Same person, but he understands the game a little bit more. He is consistent in who he is. He shows up every day; he’s looking for ways to get better. After every play, we are talking about what we can do better, trying to get on the same page. We didn’t have that time in April for OTA’s for that team building. We’ve had to do that offsite or once we got to camp.
“We’re taking it day by day. DJ has always impressed me from the moment he showed up in the building last year when we drafted him. He’s always conducted himself in a very great way. He’s who you want on your side. He’s hungry to be great, and that’s what you want out of the leader of the offense.”
Last season, Tate averaged 13.8 yards per catch, which is his best since 2013, but according to the 32-year-old Tate, the numbers don’t matter. It’s all about winning.
“I would say having opportunities and having a solid offense,” Tate said. “When you have a couple stars on your team like Sterling(Sheperd) and Saquon(Barkley), it definitely opens it up for you. There’s no rhyme or reason to it besides showing up every day trying to work hard and, more importantly, trying to win. That’s always going to be my goal when I step on the field. The personal stats don’t really matter too much to me; I just want to win. That’s what we are trying to do.”
Winning is what the Giants want to do, especially after winning only four games last season, and if with a “ripped” Jones continues to improve, maybe things will be better for New York in 2020.
Photo: Giants.com