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All the buzz around the new Giants quarterback

New York Giants fans hated the pick of this quarterback. They hated the new general manager for making the pick with a first-round choice.

That pick was Phil Simms. Nicknamed “Phil Who?” It was 1979. In 1987, he led the Giants to victory in Super Bowl XXI and earned MVP honors. That general manager was George Young.

Last spring, the Giants again earned the boos of the fans by taking QB Daniel Jones. One popular clip showing on TV Monday catches a disappointed fellow crying “Oh, no” as Jones’ name was announced.

Apologies all around today, to Jones and GM Dave Gettleman. From fans, critics on social media, everywhere. One of the most succinct remarks came from former NFL QB Dan Orlovsky, who simply said: “Daniel Jones … I was wrong about you.”

Jones stepped in as the Giants starter on Sunday with the team 0-2 and as hangdog as Eli Manning’s usual expression. Manning took this benching well and Jones thrived in his debut, passing for 336 yards and two touchdowns and running for two touchdowns. The Giants beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 32-31.

“We believed in him from the day we drafted him and first time out, he didn’t disappoint,” Giants coach Pat Shurmur said.

One game doesn’t send Jones, 22, to Canton, Ohio, and who knows if the two Super Bowl victories and MVPs won by Manning, now 38, will even get him into the Pro Football Hall of Fame? His decline over the last few years had been a drag on the team, whereas Jones gave the Giants life, led a comeback from 18 points down and did most of it with running back Saquon Barkley (high ankle sprain) sidelined. Barkley will likely be out six to eight weeks.

The Giants (1-2) remain terrible on defense. They show signs of hope with Jones adding athleticism that the lead-legged Manning lacked. They’d be 0-3 if the Tampa Bay kicker had not missed two extra points and then a 34-yard field goal on the final play, though Jones would still have given the Giants hope.

They’re not 0-3. They have reason to believe.

 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman