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New York Giants' Daniel Jones on track to play, if he can convince Joe Judge
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. â Quarterback Daniel Jones didnât play at Seattle in Week 13, but he came closer than even the New York Giants expected at the beginning of last week.
Barring a setback, Jones is expected back from a hamstring injury this week when the Giants host the Arizona Cardinals (1 p.m. ET, Fox), according to a source close to the quarterback. Thatâs big for the NFC East leading Giants (5-7) with the Washington Football Team (5-7) breathing down their necks.
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Jones will need to pass through some checkpoints, which includes proving to the teamâs decision-makers he is ready. It will begin Wednesday when the Giants have little more than a walk-through in preparation for the Cardinals.
âWeâre going to give him every opportunity to go on the practice field this week and show that he can defend himself on the field properly,â Giants coach Joe Judge said. âIf thatâs the case, then we obviously want him to play. But weâre going to make sure we do the right thing by him.
âLook, I had to make the decision [Sunday at Seattle] to go ahead and hold him out. He was a little disappointed because heâs a competitive guy. But we have Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to get on the field. Weâll see how he looks in there, and weâll make the best decision for him going forward.â
Jones almost made it back for the stunning victory over the Seattle Seahawks. He wasnât ruled out until after coaches met with the quarterback on Sunday morning. Until then, the Giants were holding out hope Jones could at least be active, potentially even as the backup or emergency option.
But Judge decided it was in the quarterback and teamâs best interest to keep their starter on the sideline in street clothes, and start veteran Colt McCoy.
Will the Giants have starting quarterback Daniel Jones back on the field for Sundayâs game against Arizona? Sarah Stier/Getty Images
âI had to kind of protect him from himself [Sunday],â Judge said of Jones after the game. âI didnât want to put him in a position where I wasnât 100% certain that he couldnât defend himself on every single play.â
Jones didnât practice early last week, but Judge watched him drop back and throw for an extended period of time on Thursday. He was impressed with the way Jones moved. The QB then snuck in a little practice time on Friday and prepared alongside McCoy as if he was going to play. But they all knew the reality, and Jones was listed as doubtful.
âDJ communicated with me pretty well all week long,â McCoy said after completing 13-of-22 passes for 105 yards with a touchdown and interception. âHe kind of knew it would be a long shot for him.â
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McCoy was serviceable on Sunday, but the offense doesnât have the same big-play ability with him at the helm. He threw one pass longer than 20 yards; it was his final one, and it came up short, falling incomplete to Sterling Shepard.
The Giants havenât thrown the ball deep often, but Jones is completing an NFL-best 57.7% of his deep throws. Four have accounted for touchdowns. They would like to have that threat Sunday against the Cardinals (6-6), a team that can put up points.
Itâs only going to be possible if Jones can move efficiently, and thatâs what Judge and the Giants will determine this week.
âWhen thereâs pressure in the pocket, can he sidestep, can he step up? If he has to leave the pocket and scramble, if thereâs a gap open for him to go ahead and tuck that ball and run to get a first down, are these things weâre OK with him doing and weâre confident that heâs going to go out there and do it without getting hurt worse,â Judge said.
âWe talk about defending himself, I want to make sure that when his natural instincts kick in as a player, that heâs not limited somehow physically or someone has an advantage over him on the field. Thatâs just not fair for us to do. ⊠[if] heâs just a sitting duck.â
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