Don’t count out quarterback Daniel Jones just yet.
Giants head coach Brian Daboll left open the possibility Jones could start Sunday against the Commanders.
However, Jones still had not been medically cleared for contact headed into Friday’s practice.
“We’ll see,” Daboll said. “We’re talking to medical people and taking it day-by-day here.”
Jones (neck) threw during individual drills in practice this week but had not yet taken part in team drills, which isn’t necessarily a big factor given that Jones is a six-year veteran who has played with little practice time after other injuries such as a concussion.
“There’s a chance [he is cleared],” Daboll said.
If Jones can’t play, Tyrod Taylor will get a chance to make up for last week’s critical mistake and rescue the Giants’ season from the abyss.
Taylor looked poised leading the offense on five drives into the red zone against the Bills, but the Giants still finished with nine points and now have gone 205 consecutive minutes without scoring an offensive touchdown.
One reason the drought is still ongoing is because Taylor mistakenly audibled out of a pass to a run on the 1-yard line late in the first half, and the clock ran out after Saquon Barkley was stuffed and before the Giants could align to spike the ball to set up another play.
The game ended when Taylor threw an incompletion from the 1-yard line into the end zone on a questionable play call that was magnified by a missed defensive pass interference no-call.
Taylor was pressured on 14 of 37 dropbacks, according to NextGenStats, and sacked three times during his 54th career start.
Jones has been pressured 91 times and sacked 28 times in five games this season.
Jones’ neck injury in 2021 – which he says was a different issue than he currently is experiencing – cost him the final six games of the season.
Concerns about Jones’ durability prompted the Giants to spend extra on Taylor – two-year, $11 million deal – to have a viable Plan B in case this exact scenario reappeared.
Three NFL teams since 1970 have made the playoffs after a 1-5 start and only one (1970 Bengals) has turned it around after a 1-6 start.
Jones is 5-1-1 with 10 touchdown passes, three interceptions and a 98 quarterback rating against Washington.