Teammates tip their helmets to Daniel Jones

The defensive players also tipped their helmets to Jones.

“How about our quarterback – the New York Giants’ quarterback,” rookie edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux said. “He played great. He led the team, and he never flinched.”

Daboll said three times that Jones “played good.” Reporters thought that review was underwhelming and goaded him for more.

“I’ve said it all year, he’s been good for us,” Daboll said. “Continues to be good for us. He played a good game. I think there were a lot of other people that played good games to help him play a good game and he’ll be the first to admit it. But as a leader on our football team, I’m proud of him.”

Jones had the fifth 300-yard passing game in Giants postseason history and joined Kerry Collins and Eli Manning as the only quarterbacks to reach that milestone. His rushing total was 19 more than the previous recordholder, Ed Danowski, who ran for 59 yards vs. Chicago on Dec. 9, 1934. Jones either ran or passed for eight of the Giants’ 10 longest plays.

At his postgame news conference, the modest Jones was as emotional as someone who had just washed his car.

“I think it’s a big win for us,” he said. “Obviously, a big playoff game. I thought we played well in all three phases and did enough to win the game. We’ll enjoy it tonight, but we have a lot of work to do moving forward.”

“I think we have a lot of fun,” he said. “We love the opportunity to compete and play in big games, and I think we all had a lot of fun.”

Except for a span of a bit more than three minutes in the first quarter, the Giants never trailed.

Minnesota took a 7-0 lead on the game’s first series when Kirk Cousins scored on a one-yard quarterback sneak.

The Giants needed only five plays to tie the game. After they were backed up to their 15-yard line by a holding penalty, Jones, in order, threw to Richie James for 13 yards, ran for seven, connected with Darius Slayton for 22 yards and then scrambled for 15 more. On the fifth play, he handed the ball to Barkley, who zipped through the left side for a 28-yard touchdown.

After the Vikings went three-and-out, the Giants went up 14-7 in four plays – Slayton’s 47-yard catch-and-run, a four-yard pass to Lawrence Cager, Barkley’s 16-yard run and Jones’ 14-yard pass down the middle to Hodgins, who beat future Hall of Fame cornerback Patrick Peterson.

“I think that was important for us, just coming out and executing,” Jones said of the Giants’ rapid response. “Regardless of the situation, that’s our goal on offense….