Daniel Jones picked off twice in 1st game since ACL injury as Giants fall to Texans 28-10

HOUSTON (AP) — Daniel Jones was thrilled to be back on the field Saturday for the New York Giants even if the results weren't optimal.

Jones threw two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown in his first action since a season-ending knee injury last year and the Houston Texans beat the Giants 28-10 in a preseason game.

“I feel good, physically,” he said. “The knee felt really good. I was excited to be out there.”

Jones tore the ACL in his right knee on Nov. 5 and had recovered for the start of training camp but was held out of New York’s preseason opener last week against Detroit. He played until halftime Saturday and was 11 of 18 for 138 yards.

His two interceptions were part of five turnovers the Giants committed Saturday.

“You don’t give yourself much of a chance when you turn the ball over,” coach Brian Daboll said. “It’s obviously something we need to improve on so that’s what we’ll try to do.”

Houston’s C.J. Stroud threw for 88 yards in one quarter after playing two series in his preseason debut last week. The Texans didn’t score on his first drive and he was lifted for Case Keenum in the middle of the next one at the start of the second quarter.

Jones was under heavy pressure in the end zone on his second drive when he threw a desperation pass which was picked off by Jalen Pitre and returned 5 yards for a touchdown to make it 7-0.

Pitre, who is entering his third season, loves how the secondary has come together since the start of camp.

“We’ve been growing in a lot of different ways on and off the field,” he said. “So I think it’s going to do nothing but help us as we continue to move forward.”

The Giants were driving on the next possession when Jones attempted a deep throw to Jalin Hyatt. But Derek Stingley jumped in front of him near the end zone for another interception.

“A little shaky to start,” Jones said. “Obviously, the first quarter didn’t go the way we wanted. Bad decision, bad throw. I’d like to have that back, but I think overall, we got some things going in the second quarter and executed and moved the ball. I was happy with how we responded."

Jones, who signed a four-year, $160 million contract extension after the 2022 season, moved the ball more effectively after that with most of Houston’s starters on the bench. He directed a 63-yard drive capped by a 1-yard TD run by Devin Singletary that tied it early in the second.

John Metchie led the Texans with six receptions for 68 yards. Metchie, who is starting his second season since missing his rookie year undergoing treatment for cancer, grabbed a 3-yard touchdown from Case Keenum to make it 14-7 in the second.

“It’s exciting to see Metchie make those plays,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Nobody is more fired up than all of his teammates, you see the other receivers and their genuine excitement for him when he makes those plays. The entire team, as a whole, is pulling for him to do well.”

New York’s Malik Nabers, the sixth overall pick in this year’s draft, jumped up to grab a pass for a 21-yard gain just before halftime. Nabers, who sat out last week while dealing with an ankle injury, had four receptions for 54 yards.

“He made a few really nice catches out there,” Jones said. “We’ve seen it in practice, but seeing it in a game felt good.”

That drive ended with a field goal that cut the lead to 14-10 at the break.

Houston's British Brooks, an undrafted rookie, had touchdown runs of 6 and 15 yards in the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 28-10.

Giants: Linebacker Micah McFadden was carted off in the first quarter with a hip injury. … OL Ryder Anderson injured his hamstring in the first quarter. … LB Matthew Adams left in the third quarter with a groin injury.

The roof of NRG Stadium has yet to be repaired from damages sustained during Hurricane Beryl last month. Several panels of the retractable roof were damaged in the Category 1 storm. The roof was closed Saturday, but two sections of it near one end zone were missing, allowing sun to stream onto the field.

The team has said that supplies to repair the roof are difficult to get and repairs might not be completed until about a month into the regular season.

The Texans honored Jacoby Jones, who died of heart disease last month at 40, before the game. Jones was drafted by the team in 2007 and spent his first five seasons in Houston.

His family was on the field during introductions and his son Jacoby Jones Jr. fired the cannon before the team ran out.

“I’m happy the organization was able to honor him in that way and give his family that respect and honor,” Ryans said.

Giants: End the preseason against the New York Jets next Saturday night.

Texans: Have a joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams Thursday before wrapping up the preseason by hosting them next Saturday.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Houston Texans wide receiver John Metchie III, center, celebrates his touchdown catch thrown by quarterback Case Keenum (18) as Brevin Jordan (9) and Steven Sims (82) look on in the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the New York Giants, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Houston Texans wide receiver John Metchie III (8) catches a pass in front of New York Giants cornerback Tre Herndon (23) in the first half of a preseason NFL football game, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

The sun shines thrown missing panels that were damaged by hurricane Beryl in the roof structure at NRG Stadium in the first half of a preseason NFL football game between the New York Giants and Houston Texans, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., right, intercepts a pass intended for New York Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (13) that was thrown by quarterback Daniel Jones (8) in the first half of a preseason NFL football game, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs (1) picks up a first down before being stopped by New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns (0) in the first half of a preseason NFL football game, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud drops back to pass in the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the New York Giants, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) throws a pass under pressure from Houston Texans defensive end Derek Barnett (95) in the first half of a preseason NFL football game, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. (24) intercepts a pass intended for New York Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (13) that was thrown by quarterback Daniel Jones (8) in the first half of a preseason NFL football game, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington expects manager Derek Shelton to return next season.

Cherington said Wednesday that Shelton remains “the right person to manage this team in 2025” despite an August swoon that dropped the Pirates out of postseason contention.

“I think there’s a lot to the job I believe he does really, really well and I also believe he works his tail off to continue to improve in a number of ways,” Cherington said.

Shelton is 288-404 (.415) in nearly five full seasons in Pittsburgh, which swept a three-game series from Miami on Wednesday.

The Pirates hoped to take another step forward in 2024 behind rookie pitchers Paul Skenes and Jared Jones. While they were above .500 and in the middle of the wild-card race at the July 30 trade deadline, Pittsburgh has slumped down the stretch and is on pace to finish with around 76 wins, right where the franchise was in 2023.

Still, Shelton sees progress.

“We’re in a definite, much better spot than we have (been) in the last two years with our starting pitching,” Shelton said Wednesday. “We’re deeper than we have been. We need to continue to build some things offensively and continue to grow that depth.”

Cherington hired Shelton in November 2019 to handle the major league roster as Cherington began a top-down overhaul of the organization. The steps back toward relevance have been difficult. The Pirates finished last in the NL Central in each of Shelton's first three seasons as Cherington traded away veterans like Joe Musgrove and Josh Bell while restocking the minor league system.

The team upped its record to 76-86 a year ago and 2023 top overall pick Skenes' arrival in the majors in mid-May gave the franchise the kind of buzz it has lacked since reaching the playoffs three straight years from 2013-15.

While Skenes has dazzled — he is 10-2 with a 2.10 ERA through 20 starts — the bullpen has been a mess and the lineup has struggled to produce regularly. The Pirates are near the bottom of the National League in every major offensive category, including runs (11th), home runs (13th) and on-base plus slugging percentage.

Though Cherington endorsed Shelton, he was less committed to the rest of the coaching staff. Hitting coach Andy Haines' job status is likely up in the air with runs continuing to be hard to come by.

“We will get to the end of the season and have an opportunity to look at the entire (coaching) group and decide, again consistent with the point about faster improvement and more improvement, if any adjustments are necessary to give ourselves a better chance to do that,” Cherington said.

The Pirates already have started making changes to the scouting department, though Cherington declined to call it an “overhaul.”

The major league roster remains a work in progress. The team moved 6-foot-7 shortstop Oneil Cruz to center field earlier this month after he struggled defensively. Third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes is dealing with back problems that limited his power. They currently have three catchers under control for next year — 2021 top overall pick Henry Davis, Endy Rodriguez and Joey Bart — and a glaring need at first base if they don't re-sign Rowdy Tellez, who has rebounded from a slow start.

Designated hitter Andrew McCutchen, who on Tuesday night reached the 20-homer plateau for the 10th time in his career, wants to come back next season and Cherington is optimistic that will happen.

“We would love to find a way for Andrew to finish his career in a Pirates uniform,” Cherington said.

Still, McCutchen is one piece of a complicated puzzle.

“(We) believe the team is better than it was last year and (it's still) not good enough,” Cherington said. "We need to make it better. There’s no one thing that’s going to do that. There are lots of things that are going to do that. We’re responsible for delivering and we’ll keep focused on that.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton reacts in the dugout during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)