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The New York Giants had a tough time moving the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers in their regular season opener on Monday, but Giants head coach Joe Judge had high praise for quarterback Daniel Jones.
Judge lauded Jones' toughness, saying the second-year signal-caller “stood in there like a man” against a tough Pittsburgh defense, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
Joe Judge continues to praise Daniel Jones’ toughness vs. the Steelers rush: “That dude stood in there like a man.”
— Paul Schwartz (@NYPost_Schwartz) September 16, 2020
Jones was sacked three times against the Steelers, completing 26 of 41 pass attempts for 279 yards and a pair of scores. The Duke product also threw two interceptions, though he was under constant duress as New York struggled to get the run game going.
The Giants rushed 20 times for just 29 yards. Saquon Barkley was totally taken out of the game, notching a mere six yards on 15 carries.
Still, Jones gave his team a chance to win the game. He made a magnificent pass to find Darius Slayton on a 41-yard touchdown strike at the start of the second quarter, putting the Giants in the lead. But that lead would not last.
Jones' interceptions proved vital. The first occurred when Steelers All-Pro edge-rusher T.J. Watt fooled Jones by dropping into coverage. That turnover placed the Steelers at New York's own 36-yard line, and Ben Roethlisberger and Co. orchestrated a quick scoring drive.
Jones and the Giants ate nearly nine minutes off the clock in the third quarter and marched down to Pittsburgh's goal line, only for Jones to be intercepted. Pittsburgh again got points from the turnover after a Chris Boswell field goal. The game was essentially put to bed shortly thereafter.
While Jones might have shown toughness in the opener, he faces another tough test against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Still, Judge is encouraged by his quarterback's composure.
