”We’ve always talked about, `We want to start the season at Minnesota. We want to end the season in Minnesota,’ and for us that means playing in the Super Bowl.”

EAST RUTHERFORD Josh Oliver Jersey , N.J. (AP) — After two days of rookie minicamp, it’s easy to see why the New York Giants drafted Daniel Jones of Duke with the No. 6 pick.He reminds them of someone they know: Eli Manning.Jones can throw all the passes. His focus is football. And when he talks about life in the NFL, he sounds like a coach.Jones may be bland, but that’s the way the Giants like their players these days. Team first, everything else second.Rock the boat and the Giants’ patience will run out — as it did with Odell Beckham Jr.In the minicamp that ends Sunday, Jones’ throws were crisp. If there was any drawback, some tosses had a little too much heat on them.He showed he could handle the media. He said nothing controversial and didn’t bother to see what anyone had written or said about him.“I got up, got over here and opened up the second install,” he said. “That’s what I needed to do.”Coming to the camp, the Giants gave Jones a portion of their playbook so they could run plays with the 76 players in attendance.“It has been manageable, but it’s all new stuff for everyone,” Jones said. “I think it was a good amount of stuff. It’s going to be a challenge just to learn the verbiage and the way everything is called, the way everything is structured in the offense. I thought it was a good amount for the first day and we kind of got an equal amount the second.”Jones will be given a bigger package to take home to North Carolina. The rookies and free agents are due back a week from Monday, when they will start working with the veterans.“I’m going to try to learn as much as I possibly can,” said Jones, who also plans to throw during the week off. “It’s tough without being on the field necessarily in 11-on-11 football, but if he expects me to do it, I will make sure I do my best to do it.”Coach Pat Shurmur has been pleased with what he has seen, although the 21-year-old is going to have to make adjustments.While the fundamentals are relatively the same, New York has its quarterbacks under center much more than Duke did. The Giants also have different drop backs that will cause Jones to adjust some of his footwork http://www.jaguarscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-quincy-williams-ii-jersey , the coach said.Jones brings a new element to the position — his ability to move in the pocket. The 38-year-old Manning has rarely scrambled since taking over as the Giants quarterback in 2004.“I really believe you have to be able to move,” Shurmur said. “There has to be mobility. Whether you are moving around in the pocket, scrambling, you have to be able to move. He can do that. Then, arm strength. If you don’t have the first few, arm strength means nothing, in my mind. He has arm strength as well. I think you saw that as well.”Since the draft, Shurmur said Manning has had no response to the Giants taking an heir apparent.“I have never been around a person that can stay in the moment better than Eli,” Shurmur said. “That is something that is really unique about him. He is staying in the moment and training to have a terrific season. He looks really good out here throwing, moving and doing all the things necessary.”NOTES: S Jacob Thieneman and LB Nate Harvey sustained knee injuries that may require surgery, Shurmur said. He said they were hurt in non-contact drills. … Jones was intercepted in Saturday afternoon’s practice by free agent cornerback McKinley Whitfield of Tulsa. The pass was initially tipped by cornerback DeAndre Baker, the Giants’ third pick in the first round. Drew Brees will lead the New Orleans offense onto the field at Minnesota and commence the 13th postseason game of his stellar career, already armed with seven such victories and one Super Bowl ring for the Saints.

”I prepare for every game as if it’s that magnitude,” Brees said.

”When you’re in games of that magnitude, it’s as if you’ve been there and done it many times before, even if it was just in your mind.”

For Case Keenum, it’s truly all in his mind.

His first start in the NFL playoffs will come when the Vikings kick off their divisional round game on Sunday.

”I’m going to play like I know how to play. I don’t have to be anybody but myself. Not more conservative or less conservative. Either way, I’m going to be me,” said Keenum, whose successful takeover for the injured Sam Bradford helped lead the Vikings (13-3) to their best record in 19 years. ”That’s all I have to be. I’ve got a great squad in this room.”

Solely measuring quarterback experience and accomplishment Ryquell Armstead Jersey , the Saints have a clear advantage over the Vikings in this divisional round game to help determine the matchup in the NFC championship game. Keenum, though, has been overcoming the odds all season, let alone his career .

”I always root for guys like that. Kind of the undersized guy that is coming out and nobody wants to give him any credit and always plays with a chip on his shoulder,” Brees said.

Though he was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round in 2001 out of Purdue, with Keenum going undrafted out of Houston and needing the Texans practice squad to get his career going in 2012, Brees can relate. He’s shorter than the NFL standard for their position, too. Oh, and they’re both from Texas.

Brees added another highlight last week, with 376 passing yards to help the Saints (12-5) advance with a 31-26 victory over Carolina while the Vikings had a bye.

”Just a guy that I really admire in how he moves the ball down the field and how he operates, what kind of leader he is,” Keenum said.

”I read his book a long time ago. I think he’s someone to learn from. I try to watch all of the really good quarterbacks in the offseason and take little things to try to work on my game.”

Here are some other angles to follow with the game:

SLOWED UP: The Pro Bowl pair of Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara had the least productive combined performance for the Saints against Carolina, with just 68 total yards from scrimmage. They each had more than 1,500 total yards in 2017.

The Panthers brought one safety closer to the line of the scrimmage to spy on the running back, and it worked.

”This league is a copy-cat league so I wouldn’t be surprised if Minnesota did it,” Kamara said, expressing no concern about the strategy by pointing to Brees, whose passing yardage total against the Panthers was his second-highest of the season.

The Vikings, led by the speed of linebackers Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks, have held several pass-catching running backs to minimal production this season.

LINE ITEM: The Saints will be without starting left guard Andrus Peat http://www.jaguarscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-gardner-minshew-ii-jersey , a versatile former first-round draft choice who also filled in for Terron Armstead at left tackle this season when he was injured. Peat broke his fibula against the Panthers.

Senio Kelemete, who has filled in at both guard spots and right tackle this season, is slated to start for Peat. Armstead, meanwhile, said he’s never been close to 100 percent healthy this season.

”But it doesn’t matter,” Armstead said. ”I’m willing and able to put my body on the line for an opportunity to play again next week.”

ZONED OUT: New Orleans defensive coordinator Dennis Allen called for a relatively zone-heavy scheme in the opener, and rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore recalled feeling ”confused about everything” in his NFL debut other than the man-to-man coverage the Saints have been more inclined to let Lattimore play on top opposing receivers. He had five interceptions and was picked for the Pro Bowl.

”That was something that we felt like in that game was going to give us a chance to win the game, and obviously we didn’t play as well as we needed to,” Allen said of Minnesota’s 29-19 victory fueled by a career-best 143.0 passer rating for Bradford . ”Obviously, we’ve looked at that game and how we’ve changed and how we’ve evolved as a defense.”

SUPER BOWL ENVY: New Orleans’ bid for the Super Bowl this season and was considered a favorite given the city is celebrating its 300th anniversary and has long been a popular host for the NFL’s marquee event. But Minnesota’s bid, combining its new stadium and winter carnival approach to related festivities, won out.

Now the Vikings have an opportunity to become the first team to play a Super Bowl on home turf, a feat the Saints would be happy to deny.

”If we want to add a little underlying story to us trying to win this game, it would be nice to be able to do that,” Saints defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins said.

”We’ve always talked about, `We want to start the season at Minnesota. We want to end the season in Minnesota,’ and for us that means playing in the Super Bowl.”

SITE MAP: The Saints are 1-6 in their history in the playoffs on the road, including 1-4 under coach Sean Payton. Their first and only such win came after the 2013 season, when they edged the Eagles in a wild-card round game in Philadelphia before losing the following week