New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones had been nearly perfect over the first two weeks of training camp but that all changed on Tuesday.
In the first of two joint practices against the Detroit Lions, Jones came out hot in 7-on-7’s but then it all went downhill from there. He struggled in 11-on-11 and red zone drills, finding himself under constant pressure while missing many of his targets downfield.
After practice, Jones remained on the field and worked on several of the throws he had missed.
“I just missed a couple of them that normally I feel pretty good about so just got to be sharp with those and make sure we’re taking advantage of the opportunities that we have,” Jones told reporters. “It’s an extremely competitive situation to go and practice against another team but I think it just comes down to hitting it and taking advantage of the opportunities when we have them. Maybe it’s a little bit of a different feel to practice practicing against another team but at the end of the day, you’ve just got to hit it.”
It was an early measuring stick practice for the Giants and they simply didn’t measure up. Both offensively and defensively, Detroit seemed like the superior team. Still, it was just a single two-hour practice on the afternoon of August 8. In the grand scheme of things, it means very little.
“I think the competitive nature of these practices speeds up the game a little bit in certain situations. I think just seeing a new look, seeing a new team. You get used to practicing against your guys – your defense and what they do and to see another group is helpful. It’s valuable time,” Jones added.
“It definitely feels a little different going against another team and maybe the speed of the game increases a little bit but it’s a helpful time.”
Jones’ struggles on Tuesday immediately set social media ablaze with his detractors climbing out from under the rocks they’ve hid over the past two weeks. It’s all doom and gloom in the eyes of the pessimistic but Jones will have a chance to rebound on Wednesday in the final joint practice between the two clubs.
“There’s always opportunities to improve. I think I’ll continue to look for those opportunities and when I have them, try to make the most of them,” he said.
It’s unclear if head coach Brian Daboll will play Jones and his starters in Friday night’s preseason opener, so the $160 million quarterback will look to improve on Wednesday and send those detractors back to the dark depths in which they came.
