In the wake of the New York Giants’ crushing 28-6 defeat to the visiting Minnesota Vikings, head coach Brian Daboll took full responsibility, shifting the spotlight away from quarterback Daniel Jones. “It all starts with me,” Daboll stated emphatically after the game, acknowledging that his team floundered and he needed to be better.
The Giants’ offense was particularly sluggish, mustering only two field goals. Jones struggled under relentless pressure, throwing two interceptions—one returned for a touchdown—and sustaining five sacks. The much-hyped offseason emphasis on downfield attacks was conspicuously absent, leaving Daboll and fans alike scratching their heads. Adding salt to the wound is the fresh memory of their humiliating 40-0 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in the 2023 season opener.
Under Saturday’s lights, Jones was queried on how he could avoid a repeat of last season’s collapse in confidence, which ended prematurely with a season-ending ACL injury. His response was resolute: “I think it’s about seeing where we need to improve and addressing those areas, then executing. It all comes down to making the play, executing, and moving forward. I know we have the guys to do it. I have confidence in myself, and I have confidence in the group and we’ll go from there.”
On the statistical front, the Giants managed only one pass over 20 yards—a 25-yard connection to first-round rookie Malik Nabers. Overall, Jones averaged a meager 4.4 yards per pass attempt.
Reflecting on the game, Daboll mentioned that the Vikings “didn’t press as hard,” and he also pointed out, “I called plays to get downfield.” When asked why those plays never materialized successfully, Daboll again held himself accountable. “Well, they played with a lot of soft shells, with split safety. They did that. Again, I’ll watch it again. We can do everything better, but it all starts with me.”
Jones and the Giants face a crucial road trip next week as they visit Washington to take on the Commanders, now led by new head coach Dan Quinn. Quinn, once Dallas’ defensive coordinator, orchestrated the zero-points plan in last season’s opening week. The Giants will need to fix numerous issues if they don’t want a repeat of these early-season woes.
