New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones was near perfect in a 25-22 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night. “Near perfect.”
The only true blemish on Jones’ stat sheet was a first quarter interception that led to a Cincinnati field goal.
The pass went off the hands of rookie tight end Daniel Bellinger and into the waiting arms of safety Bengals safety Dax Hill. It appeared to hit the ground but after review, the call on the field was upheld.
Most recognized that the interception was not DJ’s fault, but not everyone.
Among those who blamed Jones for the interception was Jones himself. Much like Eli Manning before him, Jones assumes the blame for all mistakes on the field.
“I can probably do a better job getting the ball down and I know he’ll make that play and we’ll get it,” Jones told reporters after the game. “He’s had a good camp and he’s going to be a good player.”
Unlike a Kenny Golladay drop earlier in the preseason, head coach Brian Daboll did not place this one at the feet of Jones.
“We need to catch it,” Daboll said of the pass.
Under normal circumstances, the interception wouldn’t even be a topic of conversation. It was a fluke scenario and an arguable call by the referees, but it’s Daniel Jones we’re talking about. He’s a lightning rod and everything that goes wrong is instantly overanalyzed. Even when he plays well, there are those that will dig deep to find flaws.
The reality is that Jones played exceptionally well on Sunday night. And once again, he acted like a true leader by deflecting the blame from his rookie tight end. His teammates undoubtedly appreciate that.
