You want to earn Joe Judge's respect? It's simple. And it has much less to do with football skill than it does with your mind. And your heart.
Daniel Jones has earned that respect with the first-year coach. Not with his outward production, which is quite modest, given that he has just eight touchdown passes in 10 games this year. It's what's inside that means everything.
"He's a really tough dude, mentally tough and physically tough," Judge said. "That really spreads throughout our entire team."
It was that toughness that showed in what might have been Jones' most important game in his young career. The 23-year-old quarterback had a chance to bring the Giants to within striking distance of the Eagles in an admittedly woeful NFC East, and he responded with a strong effort in a 27-17 win on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. The Giants' record stands at just 3-7, as they equaled the win total of the 3-5-1 Eagles. But the more important barometer is the Giants' 3-2 mark since an 0-5 start.
And Jones' numbers, while they might not reflect the pizzazz of multiple touchdown passes – in fact, he had no scoring throws against the Eagles – reflect an improving young player who has done what the coach has asked: make meaningful progress to put his team in position to win.
He has done just that. While Jones' turnover problems have been well-documented through much of his first two seasons, his last two games have featured smart play sans the mistakes. There have been no fumbles or interceptions the last two games – both divisional victories – as the Giants have come to respect their young quarterback even more.
"When he steps in our huddle," Judge said, "there's 10 guys look at him knowing that he's going to be the one to give them the answer to what the problem may be on the field."
The answer on Sunday came in the form of a spectacular rushing touchdown in the first half – yes, he made it to the end zone without stumbling on this one as he had in a 22-21 loss to the Eagles in Week 9. And it came in the form of some big-time throws in the second half, when the Eagles made their comeback bid. Unlike that heartbreaking loss at Lincoln Financial Field, when the Giants blew an 11-point lead in the final minutes, Jones preserved this win with some timely strikes down the stretch.
There was an important drive in the third quarter, when Jones answered an Eagles' touchdown drive with one of his own. Philly made it 14-11 on Boston Scott's 56-yard run around left end, but Jones came right back on the next drive to increase the lead to 21-11. He hit Sterling Shepard with a dart down the left side for a 27-yard completion. And on the next play, he hit Golden Tate for a 38-yard gain to the Eagles' 10. Three plays later, Wayne Gallman scored his second rushing touchdown of the afternoon to make it a two-score game.
And after the Eagles' crept back to 24-17 in the fourth quarter, Jones hit Darius Slayton on a marvelous deep throw down the left side, good for 40 yards to help set up a Graham Gano field goal to effectively put the game out of reach with 3:06 to play.
"Obviously, they were expecting run and expecting us to try to drain out the clock," Jones said of the big play to Slayton. "It was a matchup where we had Darius down the field. Just tried to give him a chance. Great call by (offensive coordinator Jason) Garrett in that situation, and a heck of a catch from Darius."
Jones knows he has to make those throws and has to make them count.
"That's something we talk about a lot is giving those guys a chance," said Jones, who was 21 of 28 for 244 yards and a 100.9 rating. "Those are certainly two situations where guys made huge plays for us. I've got to keep giving them chances to do that. You see what they're able to do. Guys stepped up throughout the day to make those plays."
At 3-7, there is still a long way to get back to respectability. And let's not talk about this Giants' team in the same breath as Kansas City, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh and some of the other heavyweights this year. But in a division that is now there for the taking, especially with the Giants having recovered from an 0-5 start, at least it's something.
And, perhaps more importantly, Jones has the respect of his coach and his teammates.
"I think our team has taken on that identity from coach, and we're playing a tough brand of football right now," Jones said. "I certainly try to be part of that."
He is very much a part of that. And if it continues, there could be an unlikely divisional title by the end.
