How much did Daniel Jones struggle on Sunday against the Vikings? So much so that his opponents ended up feeling sorry for him.
The Giants quarterback threw 22/42 for 186 yards and two interceptions, including one returned for a game-ending touchdown. Jones also had five sacks.
Enough to make the New York crowd boo their own team… and the Minnesota players feel a little queasy.
“When we heard the whistles, we thought we had it,” Jonathan Greenard told KFAN 100.3 Tuesday. “But when it started getting really loud, like they were defending on third down, it was tough.”
We started to feel a little sorry for him, because we were really stopping everything he wanted to do. It feels good to be on the other side, and it's our job not to be the team that gets booed.”
If Greenard could sympathize, it's because he's had those kinds of tough seasons in Houston before.
“I've experienced this kind of whistle, when your attack does nothing. It feels like an away game. And there we knew how we were attacking him, what stage of his career he was at, the offensive schemes, his contract…
So we know he's got a lot on his mind, and if we can add some pressure on him to get him to speed up a little bit in his drives, make sure he doesn't get confident and be comfortable in the pocket… It was great to see that on the first few offensive drives.”
Boomer Esiason not gentle with Daniel Jones
The various American consultants did not fail to come across Daniel Jones either. Like many, Boomer Esiason was horrified by the level of Jones' play, and made it known on WFAN.
“Daniel Jones is nervous. Nervous, worried. I don’t know if it’s the knee or it’s just who he is as a player. It was awkward to watch. It was tough to watch… you can’t lose the ball that much. […] The interception in the end zone, there were three Vikings defenders. It was like he was locked in and he was going to throw it. The end result is another interception. It's a killer.”
The 1988 MVP took the opportunity to send a message to Giants coach Brian Daboll.
“If Brian Daboll wants to save his job, you can't continue with this kind of indiscretion. Interceptions are deadly.”
Even though it's only week one, rumors that Giants management is looking to move on from Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll have never been louder.
The season is likely to be long.