06 November 2023 , 11:33
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The New York Giants' disastrous campaign took another turn for the worse on Sunday night with quarterback Daniel Jones suffering a season-ending injury.
The Giants believe Jones ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during the 30-6 blowout defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. The 26-year-old will have further tests and an MRI scan on Monday, but if the scale of the damage is as bad as feared, the fifth-year QB will not play again this season.
"He felt like he buckled, and then he was running it off," head coach Brian Daboll said. "We went over to him, we talked to him, he said, 'Nah, I'm good,' and then went back in, and it obviously wasn't."
Jones' injury is the latest blow in a miserable season for the Giants, who sit at 2-7 after Sunday's defeat in Sin City. A 40-0 defeat to NFC East rivals the Dallas Cowboys on opening night in September set the tone and things have spiralled out of control since, with Jones and star running back Saquon Barkley spending significant time on the sidelines.
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Barkley suffered a high-ankle sprain in the second game of the season and the offense appeared rudderless without its most dynamic playmaker until he returned in Week 6. And Jones was playing his first game back after a three-game absence with a neck injury on Sunday, but he did not make it to the end of the first quarter.
Jones' knee twisted as he tried to avoid a sack and there was immediate concern that he had suffered an injury, yet he returned to the game for one more snap but his leg buckled again and he headed to the locker room. Trailing 7-0 at the time, third-string QB Tommy DeVito – backing up Jones due to Tyrod Taylor being placed on injured reserve last week – came into the game and threw two interceptions en route to a chastening defeat.
Jones has had a poor year when he has been on the field, with the Giants suffering a significant regression since making the playoffs and defeating the Minnesota Vikings on the road in January.
Things have gone from bad to worse for head coach Brian Daboll and the New York Giants. (Ian Maule/Getty Images)After taking a significant step forward in his first season working under the tutelage of Daboll, the 2019 first-round pick ranks 28th in quarterback rating in 2023, throwing just two touchdowns against six interceptions. In mitigation, he has been hampered by a porous offensive line and injuries at the skill positions.
And with both Jones, Taylor and star tight end Darren Waller set to be on injured reserve by the time the Giants travel to AT&T Stadium in Dallas on Sunday, it is increasingly likely that a painful conclusion to the season awaits fans of "Big Blue". In addition to playing the Cowboys, the Giants also have to play the Philadelphia Eagles (8-1) twice before their misery is over.
Undrafted rookie DeVito has endured a brutal start to his NFL career, floundering in the defeat to the New York Jets in Week 8 after Taylor went down with a rib cage injury, and – in hugely difficult circumstances – he looked out of his depth at times against the Raiders.
Most Giants fans will have already turned their attention to the draft in the spring, with a chance to reset the roster. There is every chance the team will be picking in the top five and with a slew of talented quarterbacks on the board including Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Michael Penix Jr, Jones' days as the Giants starter could already be over, despite signing a four-year, £129million ($160m) contract in the offseason.
Certainly, his status for the start of the 2024 season is in doubt. Using Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray's recovery after tearing his ACL in Week 14 last year as a yardstick, the former number-one overall pick is yet to return to the field – although he could play in Week 10 when Arizona hosts the Atlanta Falcons.