You hear it again and again and again. With a good defense and added offensive firepower, the 2021 fortunes of the New York Giants rest on the shoulders of quarterback Daniel Jones.
Can Jones make a Josh Allen-like leap during the upcoming season? Can he maximize the playmakers the Giants added? Can he win some games? Can he stop turning the darn ball over? Can he finally justify, once and for all, the 2019 decision to make him the sixth overall pick in the draft?
If Jones is feeling any of that heat, it certainly did not show on Thursday.
Do the additions of Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, Kyle Rudolph and John Ross, along with the return of Saquon Barkley, add pressure for the third-year quarterback to perform?
“It’s on all of us. It’s on all 11 guys to do their job every play,” Jones said via Zoom. “That’s how we’re going to make big plays, is everyone doing their job. It’s not on any one person more than the other. It’s about everyone executing together as a unit. That’s how we’re going to create explosive plays, be a productive offense.”
But, isn’t the quarterback the biggest piece of the puzzle?
“I mean, I think, like I said, it’s on all 11 of us to do our jobs. That’s certainly something Coach Judge, Coach Garrett remind us as a group, as a team, especially on offense, to do our job. Each person of the 11 has to do their job in order for us to be successful,” Jones said.
“Certainly, the quarterback plays a role in that, come communication, getting everyone on the same page. I have a lot of responsibility in that, but it’s on each of us.”
What did Jones think during the offseason while the Giants were busy collecting play-makers?
“Like we’ve talked about, it’s exciting for all of us to have an opportunity to bring in a couple new guys, build on what we already have. We have a lot of good play-makers in the building. You add a few pieces, it’s exciting. Looking forward to getting out on the field,” Jones said.
“Really this spring, when all that stuff was happening, I think the focus for each of us was on ourselves, on improving our technique, our fundamentals, doing what we can so that when we did get the opportunity to get together now and later on in camp we’re ready to hit the ground running.”
Did he believe the organization was building around him?
“Yeah, I mean, I think I’m not sure I necessarily saw it that way. Any time we’re bringing guys in, however we do it, I think it’s about the team, it’s about building something as a group together, trying to build for everyone in that locker room,” Jones said. “I certainly felt that way as we went about it through the offseason.”