When the New York Giants beat the Washington Redskins on Sunday, it was a record-breaking day for Daniel Jones. Jones had five touchdowns in the overtime victory, tallying 352 yards.
.@Giants QB @Daniel_Jones10 is the first rookie quarterback to pass for at least 300 yards (352), five touchdowns and zero interceptions in a single game in @NFL history. #NFL100 #NYGvsWAS https://t.co/CkCOMC2QLO
— NFL345 (@NFL345) December 22, 2019
This was Jones’ first overtime win and stat-wise, he had a career-high in touchdowns. Jones was impressive, especially in overtime. And as he methodically led Big Blue down the field, you could see the calmness and confidence in the rookie quarterback.
Jones would end the drive by connecting with tight end Kaden Smith over Redskins safety Landon Collins.
Let’s be real here, many Giants fans didn’t know who Smith was prior to the season starting, but with injuries on the tight end front, Smith has flourished in his time on the team.
After the game, Smith offered the ball from the game-winning touchdown to Daniel Jones. Apparently, Jones declined because he believed Smith deserved it more.
Giants rookie TE Kaden Smith told me today that he offered to give the football from his GW TD catch in Sunday’s OT win over Redskins to Daniel Jones, since he threw it and it was his fifth TD pass.
But Jones instead told Smith to keep the ball because he had earned it.
— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) December 23, 2019
In a season where Jones has had a lot of issues with ball security, especially in the fumbling department, it was nice to see him shine in his first game back from injury as the season winds down.
The fact that Jones turned down the ball from Smith also shows a leadership quality that many teams would love for their quarterback to have. In a year where there is a clear passing of the torch from Eli Manning to Daniel Jones, it seems like Giants fans are going to see a lot of the same acts that they have seen from Manning over the last decade and more.
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