Joe Judge sees 'a lot of aggressiveness' in Daniel Jones
Giants coach Joe Judge took exception to a reporter's assertion on his daily Zoom call that quarterback Daniel Jones is not aggressive enough in his playmaking.
"I would disagree with that," Judge said. "I think he's doing a lot of things aggressively. I think the way this guy stands in the pocket when the rush is collapsing on him at certain times or makes plays with his feet extending outside the pocket, the way he's willing to pull the ball in some of the zone reads and run downfield and take a big hit. I see a lot of aggressiveness in Daniel, and I like the way he plays. The team rallies around him right there.
"When it comes time to take our shots, we'll take our shots offensively. Sometimes, we have to be a little bit more calculated about how we want to systematically move the ball down the field. You have to have a good balance of both within a game plan."
Jones played perhaps his finest game of the season in the Giants' 23-20 victory Sunday in Washington. He completed 23 of 34 passes for 212 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, his first game this season without a turnover.
Avoiding negative plays is an important part of any quarterback's job description. The best ones can do so without sacrificing the forcefulness necessary to make big plays with their arms or legs when the situation demands it.
The key is to not be overly concerned with the former so that you sacrifice the latter. Judge said Jones has done exactly that that.
The coach was asked if he has seen tentativeness in Jones.
"No, not at all," Judge said. "I think he has really done a good job of sitting back and dissecting the defense at times this year and finding the right receiver. At the same time, when we go ahead and we put scheme-type plays out there to isolate a certain player, he's done a good job as far as getting the ball distributed to those guys and make sure he gives them a chance to make a play with the ball in their hands."
What the Eagles are saying ahead of Week 10
The Giants will welcome the Philadelphia Eagles to MetLife Stadium this Sunday for the second meeting between the two division rivals.
The Eagles emerged victorious in the Week 7 contest, 22-21. Carson Wentz staged a late-game comeback as Philadelphia overcame an 11-point deficit with just five minutes remaining to win. The Eagles would go on to defeat the Cowboys in Week 8, 23-9, to bring their record on the year to 3-4-1. Philadelphia had their bye last week.
Despite having just two wins on the season, the Giants have an opportunity to rise in the NFC East standings this week. A win over Philadelphia on Sunday would bring the Giants into a tie in the win column with the Eagles, which would give Joe Judge's squad plenty of momentum heading into their Week 11 bye.
Eagles head coach Doug Pederson spoke with Giants reporters on Wednesday ahead of this weekend's division showdown at MetLife Stadium. Here is what Philly's coach had to say:
Q: You guys are coming off a bye week, you guys have a lot of momentum. Did you talk at all to your team about how the Giants probably want this one after letting the last one slip away?
Pederson: Yeah, you know that's something that obviously I think about. I go back and watch our first game and they have us against the ropes there with just a few minutes left in that game. I'm sure it's in the back of their mind obviously, as it would be with us. Listen, it's one of these games, too, where it's an NFC East opponent and it doesn't really matter what happened the first time, the last time or everything in between. It's always a good football game, it's a tough, hard-fought football game and that's what we expect.
Q: The Giants are coming off a five-takeaway performance on defense. You guys have a lot of momentum, but there still was a decent amount of turnovers in the last two games. Has that been a big priority over this week of practice?
Pederson: It's obviously something that we've got to fix. Our ball security is a big issue offensively. We've got to make sure we take care of that ball – I mean it's the number one position on the football field – and you're absolutely right that the Giants are coming off a huge takeaway game and it helped them win that game, especially at the end of that game getting turnovers there at the end. You know, it's opportunistic and this is a team that wants to tackle the football, they want to strip the football and create turnovers, and that gives teams momentum, gives them excitement obviously going into the next game. We've got to do our part to hang onto the football.
Q: The Giants offensive line is taking a bit of an unconventional approach over the last two weeks where they're rotating a rookie offensive tackle, Matt Peart, in and out on the left and right side. Does that present any challenges for your defense in preparing to go up against a very unpredictable offensive line rotation?
Pederson: No, the only thing is we've just got to do our due diligence this week and just study all those guys up front, no matter who's in the game. It's just about doing your job and just executing the scheme defensively. Offensive linemen, defensive linemen, it's all about the one-on-one matchups and taking care of your job. Our guys, I know, will be prepared, they'll study all those guys that have been in the rotation and have a plan for each one.
Q: The Giants running game has picked up over the last couple weeks. [Running Back] Devonta Freeman was actually injured in your first game, so they've got Wayne Gallman in there, who's a fourth-year pro. What do you see that he brings to the Giants offense?
Pederson: Wayne, I tell you, he's an explosive guy, he's also good out of the backfield. It's a good mix of backs that they're using – of course, Devonta is kind of the new addition and picking up the system, but a veteran player along with [RB] Dion Lewis. I mean, these guys are three different styles and you've got to be prepared for all of them, and then you throw in Daniel Jones. They're doing a lot more of the zone read with him and I think it's something that has helped their run game, when you have an active quarterback like that that can run. It just adds to your defense – in this case our defense – to be prepared and to just continue to ready keys and be disciplined that way.
Q: You guys are getting some guys back this week, I believe [Running Back] Miles Sanders and [Wide Receiver] Alshon Jeffery. How does that make your team different from the first time you played the Giants back on that Thursday night?
Pederson: Well, the thing with Alshon if he plays this week – you know, he hasn't played all season, so it's just a matter of incorporating him back into rhythm with the offense. I'm excited, he's going to practice this week and we'll see where he is at the end of the week. Miles has missed the last couple of games but is a guy that understands. He's played already this season for us, he's been explosive and just adds another level, I think, to our offense. He's a second-year player, tough kid, does a great job not only in the run game, but in the passing game as well. It'll be good to get him back out in practice this week and get him incorporated with the offense again, too.
Q: Back when you guys played the Giants the first time, you were coming off a loss, not a whole lot of momentum and it was a very short week. This time you have a bit of an advantage because you're obviously coming off your bye week, you've had tons of time to prepare and you're also in first place now by a pretty decent amount. Do you feel like this week of practice has a different vibe to it than when you first prepared to play the Giants?
Pederson: Well, the first week it was a short week, as you mentioned, and you really don't have time to think about much, you just go out and practice and prepare for a short week, a Thursday night game. We had the chance to really self-evaluate last week during the bye and just kind of take a look at the first eight games, dive into our scheme a little bit, pick it apart, see where we're at and see where we need to improve. I think going into this week where both teams have a full week to prepare – you know, there's something to say too about a team that's still playing and hasn't had a disruption in their season, like a bye week. The Giants have had momentum too coming off a big win and sometimes it gives you that momentum that carries you into the next week where you take a break and then you've got to get going again, right? You've got to jump-start and be prepared for the week, but our guys are ready and they'll be prepared. Again, just looking forward to a good game, a tough game, a hard-fought game Sunday.
View rare photos of the historic rivalry between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles.
Mara family uncovers letters from Wellington Mara's military service
Recently, the Mara family uncovered lost letters penned by Wellington Mara to his brother, Jack, and his parents back home, on board the USS Randolph during the Pacific Campaign in WWII. These letters detail the action and drama of naval life, and especially on the eve of the battle assault on Tokyo in February of 1945.
Watch the video below for a dramatic and emotional peek into the courageous person Wellington was.
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