QB Daniel Jones Conference Call -- November 25, 2019
Q: When you went back and looked at the game, where did you see some of the opportunities that you missed?
A: The opportunities in the first half where we had really good field position and opportunities to take a two-score lead or more than that. Those were missed opportunities and a couple key third down conversions that we didn’t execute like we could have. I think when you go into the second half, it was more of the same thing where there were opportunities to execute third downs. A couple of those instances, I have to do a better job of getting through reads and finding the open guy. I think that was what we saw today.
Q: Obviously you knew your rookie year was going to be trial and error, it was going to be difficult. Is winning a single game more difficult than you imagined, playing 60 minutes and leaving the field with more points than the other team?
A: You understand you don’t know exactly what it’s like because you have never played an NFL game before. You hear all the time people talking about the margin for error and how close these games are with everyone being so evenly matched talent wise. It’s about who can make a couple more plays, I think that’s something you hear about. The older guys will tell you how fine the line is between winning and losing. It’s been tough and we’re all looking for ways to improve, ways we can figure it out and get back on track. I think that’s part of this game.
Q: Saquon has 88 rushing yards on 44 carries in the last three games. How is that impacting the way defenses play you, do you feel like they are testing you? Is there anything you can do to help get the running game going?
A: I felt we ran the ball well, I thought we ran the ball effectively yesterday. When you look at the first and second down numbers, we did a good job running the ball, I think that’s encouraging. I said after the game yesterday, all areas of the game complement each other. If we can throw the ball better, that’s going to open up opportunities for him and opportunities in the run game. I can certainly can do a better job making sure we are doing that and giving him the best chance to do what he can do.
Q: Eli Manning went 1-6 starting as a rookie in 2004. What’s the best piece of advice he has given you throughout this process as your losses have mounted this rookie year?
A: Just to be consistent in how I prepare and how I carry myself. Certainly there is a lot to learn and he’s been very helpful with me in that sense and learning from the mistakes and correcting things. His message has been to be consistent and continue to move forward and not let the last mistake affect the next play.
Q: Does he talk a lot about his own experiences as a rookie and as a young quarterback, or is it mostly focused on yours?
A: Yeah, I think we’re mostly focused on this team, and our conversations are mostly about what we’re doing this year as a team.
Q: How does your college experience help with this? You had to suffer through your share of losses there, more so than somebody like a Dexter Lawrence or somebody like that. How does that help maybe toughen you up for this?
A: I think there’s a lot to learn still for me. I think you understand that these games are close, like I said, the margins for victory and defeat are very close. It’s going to be a couple plays here and there that make a difference. So, I think we realize that and I certainly realize that.
Q: How much does this team need the positive reinforcement of a win to sort of validate all the work you guys have put in for the last few months?
A: Yeah, I mean, I think we’re all looking for that, and I think obviously at this point with the results. But I think as a team and as a group, we’re focused on making sure we can correct those mistakes and trying to do all we can to get back on track. So, I think, yeah, we need a win and we’re working as hard as we can to get back on track.
Q: What did you think when you saw the touchdown catch by Golden (Tate III)? I know you said you didn’t see it in real time there, but when you went back and saw it.
A: Yeah, it was a really good play by him there in the back of the end zone. It obviously gave us the chance to win the game, or to go down and get the ball back and have a chance to win the game. So, it was a big play by him and I thought he stepped up for us.
Q: How did you think Sterling (Shepard) looked in his first game back?
A: I thought he played well. I think I can do a better job giving him a few more chances, but I thought he played well and definitely good to have him back.
Q: On that fourth down play, it seemed like him and—I think it was fourth and four and you completed it to Shep before the line of scrimmage—did you think he would be further downfield than he was? It almost seemed like they ran into each other, did that screw up the timing of the play?
A: Yeah, I mean, I think I’ve got to do a better job there giving him the ball a little sooner and giving him a chance to get upfield. I think in most cases it’s not going to be perfect, but I’ve got to be able to adjust to that and, like I said, get him the ball a little bit sooner and I think we would’ve had a chance to get the first down there.
Q: Does it add to the difficulty of trying to find the consistency and the continuity, like you said, when your weapons keep rotating? All of the sudden, you have Kaden Smith now and it sounds like Tate is going to be out and Sterling is coming back, and I don’t know what Evan’s (Engram) status is going to be this week, but does that add to the difficulty of trying to be a consistent young player?
A: I don’t think so. I think the guys who we have and the guys who have stepped up have played really well, so I feel like we have good chemistry across the board. I thought Kaden played well yesterday, and good to have Shep back, but we’ve got a lot of guys who can do a lot of different things who can help us out, so I think I feel comfortable with all the guys we’ve got out there.
