With the obvious exceptions of the Dallas Cowboys and their fans, it’s unlikely that anyone who watched Sunday night’s game would say it was anything but a dud. It’s also unlikely that anyone had less fun than New York Giants quarterback, Daniel Jones.
Quarterbacks generally don’t have good games when their team loses 40-0. Jones was no exception. He completed just over half of his passes, going 15-for-28 while passing for 104 yards. He also threw two interceptions.
More than his poor stats, Jones took an absolute beating. He was sacked seven times. The Cowboys recorded 12 hits on the night. Despite that, Jones remained in the game until the final possession, when coach Brian Daboll finally sent backup Tyrod Taylor out to run out the final 1:10.
And Dallas wasn’t exactly letting its foot off of the gas. The hits, quite literally, kept coming.
"Yeeeah. I mean, this is awful. I don't know what else to say."- Cris Collinsworth 🏈🎙️ #SNF pic.twitter.com/5wRUT5H0eK
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 11, 2023
"I don't care how many times I get hit. I'm your quarterback. I'm going to stand in there… I'm going to keep playing out here. He'll gain a lot of respect out of this game… It's a bit of a statement, I think, by Daniel Jones."- Cris Collinsworth, before Jones gets pummeled pic.twitter.com/kCHEjo021a
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 11, 2023
For anyone who maybe didn’t see the entire game, let’s be clear, this was not a game that was relatively close and got out of hand. The Cowboys led 16-0 after the first quarter, 26-0 at halftime and 33-0 after three quarters. To the extent that this game ever had a competitive portion, it was over long before the fourth quarter.
And that left a lot of people with one rather obvious question. Why was Jones allowed to stay in the game?
this has 'A drive into deep left field by Castellanos' vibes https://t.co/NZx6xnvB3p
— Wes Blankenship (@Wes_nship) September 11, 2023
Is Daboll kidding leaving Daniel Jones in here or has he decided to move on to Tyrod Taylor as his week 2 starter?
— Cousin Sal (@TheCousinSal) September 11, 2023
Daniel Jones would have just been sacked for a seventh time if it wasn't for a Cowboys penalty.
By the way, there are less than seven minutes left in a 40-0 game.
Why is Daniel Jones still playing? Is Brian Daboll testing his pain tolerance? pic.twitter.com/VdWUGZEA0c
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano) September 11, 2023
Daniel Jones is getting murdered by this OL
Daboll really still has the $40 mil man in the game?This is pure comedy
— Jason McIntyre (@jasonrmcintyre) September 11, 2023
“Coach Daboll, why is Daniel Jones still in the game down 40-0??” pic.twitter.com/TSu1ybWOs0
— Frank J. Dyevoich⚖️🏈 (@Fantasy_Giant) September 11, 2023
brian daboll to daniel jones pic.twitter.com/MNI9KMrPMP
— Ray G (@RayGQue) September 11, 2023
Brian Daboll keeping his starters on the field. #SNF
Daniel Jones’ body: pic.twitter.com/ueGqMNs8od
— RaiderRamble.com™ (@TheRaiderRamble) September 11, 2023
Daniel Jones taking a beating in driving rain while down 40-0 is quite the move by Brian Daboll right now. Absolutely absurdity.
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) September 11, 2023
It's okay to admit that Daboll made a massive mistake leaving him int he game and there is no rationalizing it. https://t.co/yZb7gGWRGG
— Vishnu Parasuraman (@vrp2003) September 11, 2023
When the game was over, both Jones and coach Daboll said that there wasn’t even a consideration given to taking the quarterback out earlier.
Not only did Daniel Jones stay in for nearly the entire game, but there was apparently "no conversation" about taking him out.pic.twitter.com/fS4BDuC0Oz
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 11, 2023
Giants coach Brian Daboll confirms he was gonna let Daniel Jones "see it through until that last series," with the hope of "trying to get something positive going."pic.twitter.com/2Hi1CT42p2
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 11, 2023
Daboll’s first year as head coach of the Giants went as could be expected. The Giants vastly exceeded expectations, helping Daboll earn the Coach of the Year Award as he quickly earned a reputation as one of the NFL’s best coaches.
We certainly can’t say that Sunday night changes all of that. But even if Jones wanted to stay in the game, the coach needs to be the one looking after his starting quarterback. He could have done a better job doing that on Sunday night.
