The Giants’ emergency quarterback plan was Saquon Barkley and a one-legged Jones.
And it worked in a 20-12 victory against the Chicago Bears.
Jones injured his ankle and was hobbled getting to his feet late in the third quarter Sunday against the Bears after taking an 11-yard sack. He limped through the final two plays of the drive and then painfully moved toward the sideline as the Giants settled for a field goal to take a 17-12 lead.
The Giants taped Jones’ left ankle and he tried running sprints in the bench area as backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor took snaps and loosened up the arm. Taylor made his Giants debut on the final play of the third quarter, while the Giants simultaneously replaced rookie right tackle Evan Neal (neck) with Devery Hamilton.
But Taylor didn’t last very long as he took a helmet-to-helmet hit running for a first down. He was evaluated for a concussion.
With no other quarterback active – Davis Webb is on the practice squad – the Giants turned to Barkley for three straight Wildcat snaps. He handed off to Matt Breida once and ran twice to set up another field goal to open up a 20-12 lead.
Jones returned as a decoy lined up at receiver for those snaps. But Jones was back under center later in the game, helping run out the clock before and after a fumbled punt by the Bears gave the injury-plagued Giants a huge break.
Jones has missed at least two starts in each of his first three NFL seasons, including a sprained ankle late in the 2020 season. He was having the best game of his season, rushing six times for 68 yards with touchdowns from 21 and eight yards out.
Jones became just the second quarterback in franchise history with multiple games of at least two touchdown runs. The first-half game plan – attack the edge of the Bears defense with bootlegs – worked time and time again.