QB Daniel Jones
November 25, 2020
Q: What do you think you did better the last two games before the bye? What are you trying to carry over here down the stretch?
A: As an offense, there are a number of things we did better. We consistently moved the ball. I think we ran the ball at an extremely high level, and that kept us in front of the chains and enabled us to sustain drives. Obviously, protecting the ball was a big part of that as well. That gives us a much better opportunity to win when we do that. We keep doing those things and then scoring touchdowns in the red zone. We’ve been more effective in that area as we’ve gone on this year. We’ll certainly look to continue to do those things for these last six games.
Q: Just piggybacking off that question, how much is it a matter of you becoming more comfortable in the offense? Not just you, but everybody as a whole now that you’ve been in this system now for several days?
A: Yeah, I think that’s certainly a piece of it. Just playing together more in this system and getting used to it, and getting more experience as a team, more experience playing with one another, that’s certainly been helpful. We feel like we’ve improved week to week. We feel like we’re a much better team than we were in the beginning of the season. The challenge is to continue to do that through the rest of the season.
Q: Coach (Joe Judge) was saying the NFC East kind of starts this week. That the race kind of starts from scratch this week. Do you guys feel that as players? And as a quarterback, what kind of opportunity is that for you?
A: It’s exciting for us, and we’re certainly aware of where the division is, what’s left and what’s out there for us. That’s certainly exciting. But I think it is the truth, and we do need to focus on what we’re doing this week. That only remains exciting, that only remains an opportunity if we take care of business week in and week out. Our focus is on what we’re doing and preparing for Cincinnati this week.
Q: Then obviously, your job kind of goes hand in hand with the offensive line’s job, so what was your reaction to the change there? Do you expect the offensive line to play much differently, thus impact you here the rest of the way?
A: No. Those guys have been playing at a high level. I certainly have a ton of respect for Coach Colombo and who he is, as a man and as a coach, and enjoyed working with him. But we’re excited and moving forward as a team. I know those guys upfront will keep playing hard and playing well.
Q: Thanksgiving is going to be a lot different for a lot of people. How is it going to be different for you? Have you made up your mind about who you’re going to root for, Washington or Dallas?
A: I don’t know who I’m going to root for there. Yeah, Thanksgiving we’ll be working for a large part of it. But it’ll be nice to have some time off and relax a little bit. Obviously, with COVID this year, it’s a little bit harder on everyone. But yeah, I’ll catch some of those games. I don’t know who I’m going to root for yet. We’ll see how the game goes.
Q: Kind of a random question, but in your preseason game in Cincinnati last year, I think that was the first time you and Darius (Slayton) connected in any kind of game situation, that kind of deep pass toward the goal line down on the left side. Was it important at that time in a game for you and he to connect like that, to kind of set off something between you and him that you feel like has grown since?
A: I don’t know if you can point to that or not. That was a big play in the game, I remember, because (Carlos) Dunlap had just knocked the wind out of me and I was struggling to breathe a little. But that was an incredible play by Darius, and maybe kind of foreshadowed the things to come from him and his many plays he’s made since then.
Q: Is it rare to have a receiver who can, like that deep pass you threw to him where he kind of tracks it and finds it down the sideline in your guys’ last game. Do you have to have an understanding of the guy you’re throwing to in a situation like that and what his talents are or I guess a trust level in what he’s able to do when you give him a chance like that?
A: Yeah, that’s a big part of it, and he’s shown he can make plays on balls down the field. Like you said, my job is just to give him a chance. That was an incredible play he made tracking that ball and coming up with it there. Yeah, have to keep giving him a chance. He’s shown the ability to make those plays consistently.
Q: With Joe Burrow, I’m not sure if you crossed paths with him at all, but obviously, you saw what he went through this weekend. I’m just curious as an opposing quarterback, it’s not the first quarterback you’ve seen get injured that way. But the fraternity that you’re in, did you have any emotions when you see that happen? Is it one of those things where you just kind of accept you guys have to deal with as reality and you just never know when it could be your turn to kind of have something like that happen and you just put it out of your mind?
A: I don’t know Joe personally, but obviously, prayers go out to him and his family and his team. That’s a tough injury, a tough deal there for him so I feel for him. Like I said, prayers out to him and his family. But that’s part of playing the game at our position. At any position, there’s always the risk of injury. We understand that when we play. Yeah, you can’t play cautious or worried about that because that’s when you get into a lot of trouble.
