Brian Daboll: Daniel Jones played well, we couldn't get our running game going

Even though the Giants only had 15 points, coach Brian Daboll praised quarterback Daniel Jones after Thursday night's loss to the Cowboys.

“I thought the quarterback played well, made a lot of good decisions and made throws. “We couldn’t get our running game going,” Daboll said. “We controlled the game somewhat in the passing game, but we didn’t do enough in the running game.”

Jones' numbers – 29 of 40 for 281 yards with no touchdowns and one interception – were OK but not great, and Jones threw open receivers on several passes that could have been touchdowns in a game where the Giants never got there End zone. But when Daboll was asked to elaborate on his thoughts on Jones, he had nothing but positive things to say.

“Three games in a row, I’m proud of the young man. “He made good decisions, he threw the ball where he needed to throw it,” Jones said. “He’s been locked up for three games, he’s played well.”

Giants running back Devin Singletary struggled to find space to run, managing just 24 total runs on 14 runs. But Daboll's comments defending Jones and criticizing the running game won't silence criticism from the many Giants fans who wished the team had prioritized running back Saquon Barkley over Jones. Barkley is now with the Eagles and leads the NFL with 351 rushing yards.

Overall, Daboll says his 1-3 team is playing better.

“The result is terrible, but I thought there was an improvement,” Daboll said. “I think there has been continued improvement. . . . We have to do a better job in the run game.”