Dallas City News

State of NY Giants: What we should be talking about entering final week of the preseason – Art Stapleton, NorthJersey.com

Giants’ QB Daniel Jones seemed a be a little rusty coming off of his ACL injury.

EAST RUTHERFORD – Quarterbacks make dumb plays.

Some are freaks and have earned the right to do it: Patrick Mahomes’ behind-the-back pass from over the weekend, anyone?

Some do it out of brain freeze, recklessness or out of genuine gridiron stupidity.

Some try to be too aggressive, believing the ball will bounce their way just because.

We’re not sure where Eli Manning’s left-handed interception in the end zone during the 2010 season falls, but likely a combination of all that. The fallout from a play like that is somewhat easily quieted by those Super Bowl rings he has, although he had yet to win his second.

This is about the need to be consistent enough with the good stuff to overcome the bad stuff.

Some QBs are. The great ones do dumb things that makes them legends. Manning’s historic throw to David Tyree, on face value, broke every rule in the book of what not to do in the preseason, let alone in the waning moments of the Super Bowl.

And here’s the truth: a lot of QBs never overcome the dumb plays they make.

In re-watching the Jones Pick 6 from Saturday, consider the context: it was play action and coming into the game, Giants coach Brian Daboll said he wanted to emphasize taking deep shots offensively. It was a priority in a game that did not count in the standings.

Jalin Hyatt ran up the seam on left side. Malik Nabers was doubled initially because Texans middle linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair dropped into coverage. Pressure comes when the defender got away from Giants tight end Chris Manhertz, in part because Jones drifted out of a clean pocket to his left.

Does Jones make the same decision in the regular season? I can’t say either way. But if you are going to be aggressive and push the envelope, you’d rather try it Saturday than in Week 1. Not saying it won’t happen Week 1, too. So if I’m making an error based on being too aggressive, I’d much rather the interception he later had on a bad throw intended for Hyatt to cornerback Derek Stingley than the decision that led to Pick 6 by Jalen Pitre.

The unheralded offensive lineman the Eagles just can’t get rid of – Reuben Frank, NBC Sports Philadelphia

Something about Brett Toth has the Eagles repeatedly bringing him back.

He keeps getting cut. And he keeps coming back.

Brett Toth has been released seven times by three different NFL teams, including four times by the Eagles.

Toth, who turns 28 in two weeks, is a survivor. He’s spent at least part of six straight seasons with the Eagles, playing in a total of 17 games with one start. The only position players who’ve been with the team longer are Brandon Graham, Lane Johnson, Dallas Goedert, Avonte Maddox, Josh Sweat and Jordan Mailata.

Brett Toth? Seriously?

Yep.

He’s having a good camp and has a fair shot to make it through roster cuts a week from Tuesday. Toth is a rarity in that he can play either tackle, either guard or center.

“I think the mindset [is] just realizing that you can’t play the politics, you can’t focus on making the roster,” Toth said. “I went out with the goal of just kind of building that confidence in the guy next to me wherever I’m plugged in at…’

“Time flies. Same experience, same goal every day. Go out there, get better, build confidence in your teammates kind of deal. Just excited to be here, have another opportunity.”

“It’s very difficult,” he said. “My favorite one is the one that [offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland] asked me to do.

“When you’re playing all five, you’re getting one-fifth of the reps at each position, so it’s hard. But you kind of have to cross train it to where certain blocks at tackle can kind of correspond to certain blocks at center, and just trying to get reps at other positions and grouping them together.

“Lots of film, always being in tune with the practice whenever I’m not going, watching it, and again just recognizing within the scheme itself that some of the position groups aren’t as different as they seem.”

Commanders name rookie Jayden Daniels starting quarterback for regular season – Kevin Patra, NFL.com

Officially official: The #2 overall draft pick is announced as Washington’s QB1.

The Washington Commanders have made official what’s been clear since April 25: Jayden Daniels is the starting quarterback.

Head coach Dan Quinn declared the rookie the Week 1 starter on Monday.

Quinn and the Commanders have played coy with the starting gig, ensuring the rookie proved he could handle the job, but it was apparent when they drafted the 23-year-old signal-caller that the new era would begin immediately.

“We knew we would get here, but we were just excited to see how we would,” Quinn told reporters after announcing Daniels had been named the starter. “So, seeing him hit all the spots, this is a rare competitor.”

Daniels astutely played along with the ruse, noting in May that the decision on the Week 1 starter was “above me.” Then he went out and let his play do the talking.

Quinn told Daniels earlier Monday that he was naming the 2024 NFL Draft’s No. 2 overall pick his starting quarterback. It was an announcement that many, including the local media, had been clamoring to have made.

“You were pressuring so much over the last few weeks, I felt it was time to promptly tell you,” Quinn said with a smile. “I’d know. You’d know. He’d know.”

“Everything in life you’ve got to earn it. Nothing’s given,” Daniels said Monday. “What DQ and them preach here is competition, and you gotta earn your right to stay. You gotta earn your right on the field and at the position. To be able to go out there and compete, it makes everybody better. What they preach, they hold true to that.”

Marcus Mariota is on the roster to simply buffer Daniels. This rookie needs no bridge.