New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones struggled in his return from a torn ACL, throwing two interceptions, including one that was returned for a touchdown, in a 28-10 defeat against the Houston Texans on Saturday at NRG Stadium.
This marked Jones’ first quarter of play since his knee injury in November. He threw two interceptions on his first three drives and nearly had a third interception on his opening pass. “Obviously first quarter didn’t go how we wanted it,” Jones stated. “Bad decision and a bad throw on the interception for a touchdown.”
Jones completed 11 out of 18 passes for 138 yards, with no touchdowns and two interceptions. Despite the rocky start, he managed to lead two scoring drives in the second half.
The first costly error came during the Giants’ second drive. Under pressure from Houston’s Derek Barnett near the end zone, Jones attempted a risky pass to tight end Theo Johnson in the left flat. The pass went straight to Texans safety Jalen Pitre, who intercepted it at the 6-yard line and ran it back for a touchdown. Jones acknowledged after the game that he should have thrown the ball at his receiver’s feet, calling it a critical mistake.
Head coach Brian Daboll echoed his sentiments, stating, “Made a poor decision backed up.” On the Giants’ next possession, Jones targeted wide receiver Jalin Hyatt down the sideline, but Houston cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. intercepted the throw with a diving catch, which Daboll felt was a justifiable decision, albeit poorly executed.
Despite the rough start, Jones found his rhythm later in the game, connecting with wide receiver Darius Slayton for a 44-yard gain that set up a touchdown run by Devin Singletary. The Giants also added a field goal just before halftime after a strong two-minute drive highlighted by rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, who made four catches for 54 yards.
While no one attributed Jones’ poor performance solely to rust, it was his first real gameplay since his injury. Notably, he moved around well and even had a 12-yard run without taking any major hits or being sacked. He expressed satisfaction with how his knee felt and gratitude to everyone who supported his recovery, saying, “It was fun to be out there.”