E-GIANTS
Dave Klein was the Giants' beat writer for The Star-Ledger from 1961 to 1995.
He is the author of 26 books and he was one of only three sportswriters to have covered all the Super Bowls up until last year. Dave has allowed TEAM GIANTS to reprint some of his articles.

WILL DANIEL JONES PLAY?
IT DEPENDS ON HOW HIS PAIN IN THE NECK FEELS

By Dave Klein
Daniel Jones will play Sunday in Miami.

Maybe.

Daniel Jones will sit out the game Sunday in Miami.

Maybe.

Daniel Jones has (not is) a pain in the neck.

Apparently, he sustained the strained neck last week against the Eagles on the second play of the game - when he ran into a horde of defenders instead of sliding.

But he often does that. Either he doesn't know how to slide, or he is intent on proving he's tougher than those 6-5, 325-pound assassins disguised as football players.

So yesterday, head coach Joe Judge shed a little light on the situation, because if D.J. really can't play then Mike Glennon gets his first start since Jan. 3 of this year when he took the ball for the Jacksonville Jaguars. "Daniel will practice today, tomorrow and Friday," Judge informed an eager nation. "Then we'll see where he is."

Judge did concede that the injury was on that second play of the 13-7 victory over Philly but demurred when asked if he thought Jones should have slid. "I'm not going to go into the dissection of every play," he said graciously. "I'm not going to talk specifically about Daniel and where he's at. We expect him to practice today, and I've made the pint that I expect him to practice Thursday and Friday as well."

There, take that.

The only question that begs for an answer is this: If Jones was hurt on the second play of the game and then continued to play the rest of the contest, when did his neck begin to hurt so much that there is doubt about his participation Sunday?

So will he play Sunday, or will he sit? Will the starter be Glennon? Will newly signed (from the Buffalo Bills' practice squad) Jake Fromm take a few snaps? You all remember Fromm. He was the Bills' fourth-round pick last year after a splashy career at the University of Georgia. Remember?

"We're not going to rule anything out right now,'' Judge said. "Daniel will be out here for practice with us today, we expect him to practice tomorrow and Friday. We'll see what he can do. We'll see how it goes.''

Jones was equally as noncommittal as Judge. "I think I'm going to go through the week preparing to play and getting myself ready to play, listening to the trainers and doctors," he said. "My job is to be ready to play, so I'll go through the week like I always do. There are a number of things the trainers and doctors want to see, but my focus is to continue to improve and get better, and then put that in their hands come this weekend."

EXTRA POINTS - The Giants conducted two walk-throughs; the following injury report is based on estimated participation ... The following players did not practice WR Sterling Shepard (quad), WR Kadarius Toney (oblique/quad), TE Kyle Rudolph (ankle), CB Adoree Jackson (quad), LB Trent Harris (ankle), FB Cullen Gillaspia (calf), TE Kaden Smith (knee) and WR John Ross (illness).

Safety Logan Ryan, who missed the last two games due to COVID protocol, will be ready to start Sunday in Hard Rock Stadium (honest, that's the name of the building).

Miami is a 2½-point favorite. ... The teams have met only nine times and the Giants hold a 7-2 series lead. ... The last game was in 2019, which the Giants won, 36-20, and they have won seven of the last eight meetings.

Judge and Dolphins' head coach Brian Flores worked together for seven season in New England under the famous Bill Belichick. ... The Miami coaching staff includes Anthony Campanile of Fair Lawn, N.J., who was a linebacker and safety for Rutgers and later an assistant coach there.

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