The Worst of Daniel Jones Is Good News for the New York Giants

The New York Giants should feel good about themselves even after a 35-14 loss Thursday to the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. 

How is that even possible? 

Yes, Daniel Jones provided his worst performance so far with three interceptions. But the rookie quarterback still flashed, and he's not going to face a more difficult opponent all season. 

More importantly, a depleted Giants supporting cast will mend and improve in the coming weeks. 

Everyone knew Jones faced an impossible task in his fourth start. The Patriots simply don't lose at home to young quarterbacks during the Bill Belichick era. New England is now 28-0 against signal-callers under 25 years old since 2001, per ESPN's John Buccigross. Belichick's squad has won 19 straight contests against first- or second-year quarterbacks. 

On top of the natural experience advantage, the Patriots entered the contest with the game's best defense. In fact, the Patriots allowed only 4.1 yards per play through the first five contests, which was the best average of any team in the last 10 years. 

Jones didn't face just an uphill battle; he needed to climb the mountaintop only to realize the gods made him into a modern-day Sisyphus. 

Even in defeat and disappointment, there were some positives. 

The Giants trailed by only seven points at halftime thanks to a 42-yard fumble return by Markus Golden and a beautiful 64-yard touchdown pass from Jones to Golden Tate. 

Jones immediately saw the one-on-one matchup with Tate out of the slot. The first-year quarterback delivered a beautifully placed passed over the shoulder, and the veteran receiver never broke stride (despite a bobble). As such, the single-high safety couldn't gain the proper angle to prevent Tate from scoring. 

The three interceptions weren't as bad as they read in the box score. Poor ball placement and worse luck led to the first when Jones didn't lead Tate on a slant, only to have the pigskin batted into the air. 

That mistake can be avoided in the future with more reps and experience. 

The second interception came courtesy of a defensive lineman Danny Shelton swatting Jones' elbow when the quarterback tried to throw the ball away, only to have the pass flutter into the air for a defender to snag. 

Of the three, the third miscue was the biggest cause for concern. The rookie didn't recognize the coverage and threw the ball into cornerback Stephon Gilmore's awaiting arms. 

The Patriots disguised the coverage pre-snap, shifted into Cover 2 post-snap and fooled Jones. This isn't the first or last time it'll happen. Nor is Jones the first quarterback of any age to struggle with identifications of the Patriots' post-snap declarations. They have the league's best and most disciplined defensive unit. 

Yet, the Giants became the first team to score a passing touchdown against the Patriots this season thanks to Jones and Tate. Furthermore, New York averaged 4.4 yards per play, which raised New England's average slightly. 

Keep in mind the most important factor: This performance came in adverse weather conditions (swirling winds) without tight end Evan Engram, wide receiver Sterling Shepard and running backs Saquon Barkley and Wayne Gallman due to various maladies. Jones entered Thursday's contest as the Giants' leading active rusher with 78 yards, and Darius Slayton served as the team's top receiver with nine catches through five games. 

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, 15 of Jones' 31 attempts were into tight windows (less than a yard of separation by the receiver). Put simply, his targets had lots of trouble getting open. 

Barkley (ankle), Shepard (concussion) and Engram (knee) could be back next week to face the 1-3-1 Arizona Cardinals, though. 

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

The Giants didn't have much of a chance offensively with their depleted skill positions yet did enough to keep the game within reach until the fourth quarter. Even then, Jones didn't let the team down; a Jon Hilliman fumble did.

Head coach Pat Shurmur once again said his first-year starter provided a "gritty" performance, per SNY's Ralph Vacchiano. When the offense is fully healthy, perhaps he won't need a gritty performance. Before their Week 11 bye, the Giants play the Cardinals and Jets (Week 10), with a rival game against the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions sandwiched in between. 

Also, the defense deserves significant credit for its continued improvement. 

The defensive front is the team's best overall unit. Dalvin Tomlinson and Dexter Lawrence are a formidable duo along the interior. Second-year edge-rusher Lorenzo Carter registered a sack and another quarterback hit on Tom Brady. 

The defense caused two turnovers and sacked Brady three times. Though the Patriots had 427 yards of offense, the Giants forced them to work for everything and made the 42-year-old signal-caller uncomfortable in the pocket. 

"There are no moral victories, but this is the standard from here on out," Giants safety Michael Thomas said after the game, per the New York Daily News' Pat Leonard. 

A team often learns a lot about itself in a loss. The Giants know they can remain competitive against the league's best even when adversity strikes. 

From this point forward, Jones and Co. should only get better because the signal-caller continues to make impressive plays even when he's struggling. He'll also receive far more help in the coming weeks, including an improved defense.  

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @brentsobleski.