Giants quarterback Daniel Jones arriving to U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday as the leader of a playoff team was far from a certainty after three straight losing seasons since he was drafted with the sixth overall pick in 2019.
One of the first moves this spring by the Giants' new leadership — general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll — was to decline Jones' fifth-year option, making him bound for free agency whenever this season ends.
Jones, 25, doesn't intend for that to be soon as the first Giants quarterback to start a playoff game since Eli Manning in 2016.
"I was always confident this would happen," Jones told New York reporters on Wednesday. "I think largely because of guys we have in the locker room, the type of guys they are and I think how close we are as a group. We had some tough years, but I think we learned a lot."
Jones, a Charlotte native, remembers watching the Panthers' run to the Super Bowl in the 2003 season and said it's "pretty cool" to be starting his first playoff game. He's still got plenty of NFL experience heading into his 54th Giants start.
This is also Daboll's second straight team in which he's coaching a young quarterback in his first playoff start. He was the Bills' offensive coordinator with Josh Allen in a 2018 AFC wild-card loss to the Texans.
"It's the next game," Daboll said. "We're privileged and honored to be a part of it. But the things that got you to where you are, those are the things you have to lean on."
Jones' agile legs have added some playmaking jolt to this Giants offense. Under Daboll's scheme that designs some runs for the quarterback, Jones had a career-high 708 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns.
Coupled with Jones cutting down on the turnovers — a career-low six fumbles and five interceptions — the Giants found ways to finally win in his fourth season.
"Lot of ups and downs," Jones said. "It's not always going to be a straight line."
Jones was asked whether Giants players are just happy to exceed expectations by making the postseason.
"That's not how we see it as a group," Jones said. "We were confident in our team dating back to training camp and knew what we were able to accomplish. We're by no means satisfied to be in the playoffs. We expect to play well and to win and that's our expectation every week."
