EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Colt McCoy will start quarterback for the New York Giants on Sunday night in place of the injured Daniel Jones, sources told ESPN.
Jones was listed as doubtful for the first-hour game with the Cleveland Browns due to hamster and ankle injuries. The combination limited his mobility and ability to move freely, even more than the previous week when facing the hamstring problem.
Jones was limited in practice this week. McCoy later dealt with an increased workload, including Friday, when he took the first blow with the offensive starters. This is generally a good indication of who is starting the game that week.
McCoy led the Giants to an upset victory two weeks ago over the Seattle Seahawks, when he started in place of Jones. Now, he has the opportunity to do it again on a national stage against his former team and with Freddie Kitchens (Browns’ former coach) playing instead of offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.
“I appreciated the time I spent with the Browns. I wish I could have won more games,” said McCoy, who was selected in the third round by Cleveland of Texas in the 2010 NFL Draft. “There are some great people in the “Cleveland fans and people are wonderful. My wife and I really enjoyed our time there. We just didn’t earn enough. That’s about what I’m going to say about Cleveland. I think now our focus and concentration “Our team has more things to play for. They’re a good football team. They’ve won a lot of games. We have our hands full with their boys in front. We know what we need to do to win this game. We have to prepare.” and focus and be ready to go out there and execute. “
McCoy went 13-of-22 for 105 yards with a touchdown and interception against the Seahawks.
This has not been a normal week for the Giants, apart from their uncertainty as a defender. They did not train on Thursday after Garrett tested positive for COVID-19. They also put James Bradberry on the top corner of the reserve list / COVID-19 after it was considered close contact with a high-risk chiropractor who tested positive. Bradberry will miss the game on Sunday night. Team coach Bret Bielema has taken on a new job as head coach at the University of Illinois, and offensive assistant Stephen Brown tested positive for the virus on Saturday.
Giants head coach Joe Judge said before Friday’s practice that Jones will receive “his share” of first-team photos. The team thought it was a problem to enter the day Jones would be ready to start this week, especially after the ankle was swollen earlier in the week.
Until Saturday, it was trending in McCoy’s direction. The decision was made after the team went through a walk.
The judge needed Jones to prove that he was not only able to protect himself, but that his general mobility was there. He was not in last week’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals, when he threw for 127 yards, with zero touchdowns or interceptions and a missed fall. He failed to escape pressure or run out of pocket and suffered an ankle injury from a blow at the start of the second half. Jones did not have a hasty attempt for the first time in his young career and was fired six times.
Jones said his mobility was limited against the Cardinals and that his ankle was “painful” earlier this week. He was listed as a limited participant in the practice on Wednesday and Friday.
Jones insisted he felt “good” on Wednesday, despite looking noisy during the open portion of the practice. However, the judge noted that it is imperative to work almost exclusively with the eyes and not the ears when it comes to determining Jones’ health.
The defender has been firm in recent weeks about the desire to play and is preparing again this week, as if he were starting.