Giants fans love-in for Daniel Jones begins now - New York Post

There is nothing like a honeymoon here, when a fan base overflowing with passion welcomes its new crush with a warm, sweet embrace, ’til football death do they part, instead of the next interception.

Let the love-in begin:

Giants fans, meet your Danny Darling.

You will treat him much, much differently than you did on draft night at MetLife, when few of you — and few of us, me included in the press room at neighboring Quest Diagnostics Training Center — could believe it when NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced in Nashville: “With the sixth pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select Daniel Jones,” and everyone filled the place with disbelieving boos.

Remember?

Dave Gettleman did what?

And you boobirds who flocked to Yankee Stadium in June and booed him when his face appeared on the video board will be roaring wildly when he runs through the tunnel in his No. 8 jersey.

There will be plenty of No. 10 jerseys in the stands, and an “E-L-I MANN-ING” chant would be a classy tribute for your classy quarterback for the past 15-plus years who won you two Super Bowl championships, over Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, no less.

This is the day you know he dreaded, driving to work and walking into MetLife Stadium knowing the New York Football Giants were no longer his to quarterback. And the fans to whom he has given 15-plus years of his blood, sweat and tears every day or night there was a game scheduled, won’t be cheering for him to march the Giants into the end zone.

Because the Giants belong to Daniel Jones now.

In the NFL, one aging quarterback’s pain is another young quarterback’s gain. Manning has quarterbacked the Giants 29 straight games against the Redskins. He won’t be making it 30.

Manning should take comfort in the fact that though Jones is their darling for today and for tomorrow, Manning will be their darling forever.

But Father Time waits for no quarterback not named Brady, and the succession plan the Giants kept delaying has arrived, so Manning will be on the sideline for a second surreal Sunday offering his wisdom and watching Danny Darling get after the Redskins and listening to the roars for his successor that used to be reserved for him.

“I think they’re gonna go crazy,” Bennie Fowler said. “I think the stadium will erupt.”

Jones barged his way into Big Blue hearts with a stunning display of precocious professionalism, poise and athletic arrogance that has emboldened the disillusioned to see that elusive fifth Lombardi Trophy in the distance. Gettleman is no longer the only one in full-blown love.

“I know the Giant fans are gonna be excited to see DJ in MetLife,” Evan Engram said.

His leadership was eye-opening. And bleeping ear-splitting in the huddle. He left it all on the field and implored his teammates to leave it out on the field with him. He believed in himself, even after Saquon Barkley was lost in the second quarter, and got everyone to believe in him. He used his legs as a weapon. He attacked fearlessly downfield. He was tough and resilient.

“The guy just balled out, he just balled out,” Jon Halapio said. “We had a tough game up front trying to protect him, and he hung in there, he got hit a couple of times, too, and it didn’t shy him away from throwing the ball downfield, and obviously everybody saw what he can do with his legs to extend the plays.”

One game doesn’t make you a savior. Maybe Patrick Mahomes could win with this Giants defense. Maybe not. Jones will welcome Golden Tate back from his suspension just in time for the Vikings. Wayne Gallman, who isn’t chopped liver, is the next man up after Barkley. But Barkley is filet mignon.

“I don’t think he has to live up to any crazy standards or anything, just go out there and just keep winning games,” rookie receiver Darius Slayton said.

No one will be shocked if Jones beats the 0-3 Redskins. No one should be shocked if he doesn’t.

We have seen ball security issues from him. He will throw an interception. He won’t hear boos when he does. Not now. Not yet.

Because he is Danny Darling. And will be for a long time.

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