Daniel Jones taking hit for Giants teammate highlights evolving Brian Daboll relationship

This conversation took place in the visitors’ locker room at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, not long after the Giants dropped their third straight game. frustrating 26-18 loss to the Steelers.

Daniel Jones approached his right tackle, Jermaine Eluemunor, and told him what he was going to tell the media at the post-game press conference that would take place in a few minutes. Eluemunor was not happy to hear what Jones had to say.

“He told me he was going to do it and I was like, ‘Please don’t, I don’t need you to go through this,'” Eluemunor told The Post after practice Wednesday. “I told him, ‘I don’t need you to defend me. I can defend myself.”

Jones did not follow his advice. He stood behind the lectern and explained that it was he and not Eluemunor who was at fault for the TJ Watt strip sack/fumble/turnover that cost the Giants a chance to pull, even with 2:59 left. It certainly looked like Watt beat his man cleanly and raced in to level Jones. That did happen, but only because Jones was so busy parsing the coverage that he forgot to warn rookie tight end Theo Johnson to get moving and give Watt a chip block, which is essentially one of the most deadly passes of the competition doubled. rushers. Johnson never got the warning, Eluemunor never got the help and Jones never had a chance.

Jones wasn’t about to fire Eluemunor for a play the quarterback botched.

“I already love DJ, but I definitely appreciate that,” Eluemunor said. “But it’s my job to protect him, so I’m not going to let him take unnecessary heat for no reason.”

It once felt like this kind of affinity characterized the relationship Jones had with his head coach, Brian Daboll. That is no longer the feeling. Certainly, Daboll often says he is proud of Jones when the level of play is satisfactory, and Daboll never fails to praise Jones for his work ethic, dedication and caring. But the success they shared in 2022 seems like a long time ago and this season, which continues Sunday against the first-place Commanders at MetLife Stadium, has mostly been a weekly referendum for the Giants finding a new quarterback for 2025.

Jones didn’t appreciate being pulled from the game early in the fourth quarter after the 28-3 loss to the Eagles. Daboll sounded almost wishful when he praised Jones for that blow up and show his disgust in Pittsburgh when a two-point conversion attempt failed because players were not set and thus not ready to block.

Daboll called Jones “usually pretty level-headed” and emphasized that he doesn’t want him to push himself out of his comfort zone.

“No, I want him to be him,” Daboll said. “But I don’t mind emotions.”

Jones didn’t seem particularly impressed by that.

“I try to control myself and keep my emotions under control,” he said.

Why is he trying to control his emotions?

“You think better, you play better,” Jones said. “And there is a time and a place for everything. But yes, I have found that when I am in control I can play my best, think my best, prepare my best.”

If Daboll wants more charisma and more machismo from Jones, he won’t get it. Jones got a little angry when presented with the idea that the head coach wants to see more fire from his starting quarterback.

“I’ve always played really hard,” Jones said. “I’ve always played hard. I played with an advantage. I believe in that strongly, and that’s something I always do, every time I step on the field. How I show that, how much I shout, I don’t think that is directly related to that. I always play with an edge and play with a chip. And there is a time and place to perhaps show some of that. But it doesn’t change how hard I play, and it doesn’t change my edge at all.”

Interestingly, after the loss to the Steelers, Daboll revealed that it was a mental blunder by Jones that led to the strip sack. There are plenty of postgame sessions where Daboll doesn’t go into details about who messed up a particular play. Jones said he had no problem with this because the two discussed it before meeting the media.

“I had a conversation with him and I knew what I was going to say,” Jones said. “So I understood him saying that. And Jermaine expected help, but he didn’t get it. So yeah, I’m fine with everyone knowing that.”

Preferring to tell everyone it was all his fault, Eluemunor admitted that he should have realized sooner that Johnson’s chip wasn’t coming and that he should have done more to ‘dirty’ Watt in his attack on the pocket.

“DJ has been under enough scrutiny around here,” Eluemunor said, “and I don’t want him to have to take any of it.”

There is no amount of protection that can keep Jones from the slings and arrows that come with losing.