The New York Giants just cannot escape being the butt of the joke. Even when they are not the ones on the field, they somehow find a way to be a part of the conversation. The Philadelphia Eagles’ 24-19 victory over the Baltimore Ravens this past Sunday marked a rare achievement: Lamar Jackson lost to an NFC team.
And guess what? The only other NFC quarterback to pull that off is none other than Daniel Jones. Yes, that Daniel Jones, the one the Giants released earlier this season after an unceremonious benching.
The Eagles, now 10-2, took down the Ravens thanks to Saquon Barkley’s 107-yard performance and Jalen Hurts’ steady leadership. While Baltimore’s Justin Tucker picked a bad time to keep struggling, Philadelphia did enough to control the game and hand Jackson just his second NFC loss in 25 starts. His only other loss? The Giants’ 24-20 comeback win back in 2022 when Jones managed to outduel the former MVP at MetLife Stadium.
Here’s where it stings for Giants fans. Jones, who now finds himself on the Minnesota Vikings, is part of an exclusive “club” that includes one other NFC quarterback: Hurts, who is leading the Eagles to another NFC East title and a potential Super Bowl run. The contrast couldn’t be sharper. One quarterback is thriving, and the other is essentially rebuilding his career from the ground up.
Jalen Hurts Joins Exclusive Company After Beating Lamar Jackson
For two years, Daniel Jones held a unique claim to fame. He was the only NFC quarterback to get the better of Lamar Jackson, doing so during the Giants’ surprising 2022 season under Brian Daboll. That win was a highlight of Jones’ tenure in New York, a brief glimmer of hope in what would turn out to be a tumultuous career with Big Blue.
Lamar Jackson falls to 23-2 as a starter vs. the NFC
— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) December 2, 2024
The only two to defeat him?
Daniel Jones and Jalen Hurts pic.twitter.com/Q2uuY1KTAc
Now, Jalen Hurts has joined him. For Giants fans, it feels like adding insult to injury. Jones’ name is still linked to one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the NFL, but not in a way that makes anyone in New York feel good.
What makes it worse is the context. The Giants’ handling of Jones has been nothing short of disastrous. They signed him to a massive contract extension in 2023, only to bench him in favor of undrafted rookie Tommy DeVito this season. The final indignity was Jones being relegated to a scout safety role in practice, a move that led to his release. Now, he is left rebuilding his career, while Hurts is thriving in Philadelphia.
This stat isn’t something Giants fans can hang their hats on. Instead, it serves as a brutal reminder of what might have been. Jones, for all his struggles, was part of one of the franchise’s most memorable wins in recent years. Now, Hurts has matched that feat while leading a division rival to new heights.
To make matters worse, the Ravens are on their bye this week, and their next opponent is, you guessed it: the Giants. Lamar Jackson will have the chance to avenge his first NFC loss, adding another layer of misery to what has been a nightmare season for Big Blue.
At the end of the day, this stat feels less like a badge of honor and more like a punchline. Daniel Jones and Jalen Hurts in the same exclusive company? Only in the most bittersweet sense for Giants fans.