Monday Mourning QB: Daniel Jones taking hits from all angles. Can he answer his critics?

EAST RUTHERFORD - And you thought the beatings Daniel Jones took last season behind one of the worst offensive line performances in recent NFL history were bad.

The criticism is coming from everywhere for the New York Giants ' quarterback following a brutal season opening performance in his team's 28-6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

His play has been questioned in many segments of the media. Fans booed Jones vociferously during Sunday's game and, truth be told, a handful of them afterward as well, capturing their own taunts as he exited MetLife Stadium through the players' gate on a video that went viral.

Players past and present have mocked him, some going out of their way to pile on, which is pretty rare, even nowadays with social media creating an incredible audience for the sport.

Speaking at his locker following Wednesday's practice, the Giants' 27-year-old QB promised he would answer all of that with his best come Sunday in Landover, Maryland, when Big Blue visits the Commanders at Northwest Stadium, the building formerly known as FedEx Field where Jones has won three of his four starts.

"I feel like I've been doubted plenty for a long time and dealt with that time and time again, and done a good job with it," Jones said. "I think my mental toughness is in a good spot, and I'm not concerned about that."

The concern at the moment is whether the physical and mental punishment he has taken ‒ behind that offensive line last season and the many previous ways the Giants screwed him up as co-owner John Mara said ‒ has sapped Jones of the swagger and confidence he displayed down the stretch of the 2022 season.

Along the way, circumstances being what they were with the Giants considering drafting his successor this spring, paths to Jayden Daniels, who they'll see in Washington, and Drake Maye were blocked. So team brass stuck with Jones, the thought being that he could rediscover the game that led general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll to give him that contract worth up to $160 million, and that the Giants could win despite whatever limitations he may not be able to shake.

It's not outlandish to wonder if the Giants can win at all with what Jones showed against the Vikings on Sunday.

They need him to be so much better and there is some uncertainty as to whether he is capable of doing that. He skipped throws at the feet of receivers in key spots, double-clutched far too many times and looked indecisive. His accuracy was skittish and nothing clicked in the passing game.

It's everything critics say defines Jones' play, and why the Giants are not going to rebound this season with him at the helm of the offense if he continues to perform like this. Jones completed 22-of-42 passes for 186 yards and two INTs.

If this were just one game and not a microcosm of his struggles within the past year, such a harsh critique might be unfair. It's only one game. There are 16 more to go.

But for Jones, this is how he played when things went off the cliff last year ‒ before the neck injury and knee surgery.

When Daboll and Jones got together to review the tape, setting up a plan to improve moving forward, there was an increased focus on his footwork and fundamentals,

“We obviously broke down the game, and it’s play by play," Jones said. "It’s specific to what happened and where the correction needs to be. I think footwork wise, finding opportunities when they’re there and delivering the ball accurately. But a lot of things I talked about improving were points of emphasis after watching the film. I think just seeing it and trusting it, being decisive."

Vikings pass rusher Jonathan Greenard said he and his teammates felt pity for Jones once things started unraveling and the boos from the home crowd rained down.

"I've said a number of times I'm concerned about the people in this building, and I think I’ve got plenty of help, plenty of good coaching, plenty of good teammates to work with here," Jones said. "That's what I'm focused on. I've got people I trust, who I have relationships with, who can help me out. But in terms of other people and what they have to say or what they think from their perspective and what their observations are, it's really not very important to me."

Being the starting quarterback of the Giants certainly is, there's no doubt about that. What's uncertain: how much longer Jones can keep the job if he repeats his performance from last week. Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito are splitting scout team reps in practice, while Jones continues to run the first-team offense.

Asked if he believed he is playing to keep the gig he has held ‒ barring injury ‒ since Week 3 of the 2019 season when he replaced Eli Manning as a rookie, Jones shifted the topic to his production and the scoreboard.

"I'm playing to win games. I'm playing to lead the team to score points and win games," Jones said. "And that's always been my focus. I know I can do that. I’ve just got to do it well."

What happens next ‒ for Jones and the Giants ‒ might depend on just that.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Monday Mourning QB: Daniel Jones taking hits from all angles. Can he answer his critics?