Don’t write off Daniel Jones yet.
In today’s society, where we prefer our cocoa made instantly, Jones may be a reminder that some things need time to develop. Not everything happens overnight.
With the Giants facing a dreaded 0-3 start, Jones turned in one of his better performances on Sunday, completing 70.59% of his passes (24 of 34) for 236 yards and two TDs in a 21-15 victory over the Browns.
Jones’ best drive was a 14-play, 93-yard scoring drive in the second quarter, capped with a 3-yard TD pass to rookie Malik Nabers. That score put the Giants in front, and they held on the rest of the way.
In a “prove-it” year for Jones, it marked his second straight game with a passer rating of at least 100. The last time he had back-to-back games with 100-plus passer ratings was Oct. 9 and Oct. 16, 2022.
“He was locked in, and he’s been that way,” Giants coach Brian Daboll said. “We’re going to need it from him this week (against the Cowboys on Thursday)—a short week. A lot of work to do.”
Jones has never had a stretch in his career with three straight 100-plus passer rating games. Considering Jones is 1-7 in his career vs. the Cowboys, odds aren’t in his favor to do it Thursday. But it feels like Jones is turning a corner in his sixth season, especially playing behind the best offensive line he’s had.
As Jones said when asked about the improved O-line this week, “Yeah, it gives you a lot of confidence to be able to see the field and find the open guy, get the ball out of my hands, all those things. I have a lot of confidence in those guys.”
The Giants showed some confidence in Jones this offseason, too, opting to use the sixth overall pick on Nabers instead of a quarterback. And, it’s hard to blame Jones solely for just one playoff appearance so far in his career, as he’s played for three different head coaches (Pat Shurmur, Joe Judge, Daboll) and four different offensive coordinators (Mike Shula, Jason Garrett, Freddie Kitchens and Mike Kafka).
Sometimes it just takes getting into the right system and developing. Sam Darnold is an example of that, as the Vikings are off to a 3-0 start. Darnold, the third overall pick in the 2018 draft by the Jets, flamed out in New York but finally has things going in the right direction on his fourth team in seven years.
Seattle’s Geno Smith and Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield are other quarterbacks who have found success by moving on to different systems.
And, even though it’s difficult for fans to endure the growing pains, sometimes quarterbacks need time and experience before reaching their potential. Alex Smith, a former No. 1 overall quarterback drafted by the 49ers, didn’t make his first Pro Bowl until his eighth season in the league and then went on to win a couple of AFC West titles with the Chiefs later in his career.
Hall of Famer Steve Young is another late bloomer who made his first Pro Bowl in his eighth season and won two MVP awards in his age 31 and 33 seasons.
At the end of the day, the Giants’ best bet is to keep riding with Jones. It can’t be overstated: sometimes it just takes time, and finding the “next big thing” in the draft is even more of a roll of the dice.
Just look at a few of the names from the last few years who many felt would be on the path to stardom by now: Bryce Young, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields. It’s a much safer bet for the Giants to bank on Jones’ continued improvement.
So, is Daniel Jones the right QB for the Giants? He has the rest of the season to prove it.
