This certainly didn’t age well.
Cris Collinsworth’s comments about Daniel Jones’ resiliency Sunday could not have come at a worse time as the Giants quarterback endured sack after sack in what was an abysmal 40-0 loss to the Cowboys in the season opener.
In the final minutes of the fourth quarter, Collinsworth remarked on the “Sunday Night Football” broadcast how Jones was taking a stand of sorts by remaining in the game — only to get demolished by a Dallas defender seconds later.
“[Jones] is saying, ‘I don’t care how many times I get hit, I’m your quarterback. I’m going to stand in there, I’m going to keep running, I’m going to keep playing out here.’ And he’ll gain a lot of respect out of this game tonight. Tough night to throw the football for both teams, no question about it, with the conditions and the rain, but it’s a bit of a statement, I think, by Daniel Jones. Like, ‘I’m not going anywhere,'” Collinsworth said as Jones was wrapped up by Cowboys defensive end Chauncey Golston and fumbled the ball.
Jones, who signed a monster $160 million extension with the Giants earlier this year, was sacked seven times.
He went 15 of 28 for 104 yards with zero touchdowns and two interceptions for a passer rating of 32.4.
“This wasn’t our best game, there’s no doubt about it,” Jones said postgame. “This wasn’t who we’re capable of being. We’ve got to show that. We’ve got to put that on the field and play that way.”
Murphy’s Law was in full effect at MetLife Stadium, where the Giants quickly unraveled after a botched snap from rookie center John Michael Schmitz in the first quarter.
The Cowboys then blocked a Graham Gano field goal attempt and ran it back for a touchdown.
It was all Dallas from there.
“We got skunked here 40-0,” Giants head coach Brian Daboll said afterward. “When you play a game like that, coach a game like that there’s nothing that’s good enough.”
With back-to-back West Coast games against the Cardinals (0-1) and 49ers (1-0) looming in the next two weeks, here’s hoping the Giants can replicate last season’s magic — and fast.
They finished the 2022 season at 9-7-1 and reached the divisional round of the playoffs.