New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is being viewed vastly differently heading into this season as opposed to last year. At this same time a year ago, many were predicting that it would only be a matter of time before Tyrod Taylor supplanted him as the starter.
Now with the start of training camp just a few weeks away, some are viewing Jones as a top-10 quarterback. Based on the four-year $160 million contract Jones received this offseason, the Giants brass are expecting him to perform as an elite QB.
Jones’s first three seasons in the league were disappointing, to say the least. The former Duke standout was turnover prone as well as injury prone. From 2019-2021, Jones started 37 games and committed 49 turnovers. During that same span, he missed 10 games due to various injuries.
Due to these reasons, New York decided not to exercise Jones’s fifth-year option in April 2022, which left a cloud of uncertainty hanging over his career.
Fortunately for Jones and the Giants, the arrival of head coach Brian Daboll would change the trajectory of Jones’s career.
Following a 4th quarter endzone interception in Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans, Daboll was seen on the sidelines ripping into his quarterback. The tongue-lashing seemed to have lit a spark in the fourth-year pro as he helped engineer a game-winning drive on the next series to help New York come away with a 21-20 victory.
From there on out, Jones played mistake-free football, as he only turned the ball over eight times all season. He would set career highs in passing yards (3,205), completion percentage (67.2%), rushing yards (708), and rushing touchdowns.
Most importantly, he led the team to their first winning record since 2016, and their 31-24 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card Round was the franchise’s first playoff win since Super Bowl XLVI.
After overachieving last season, more is expected from the Giants and their 26-year-old quarterback this season.
Although he set career highs in many categories, his numbers by today’s NFL standards were average or below average, particularly his 15 touchdown passes. These are the reasons many felt that he did not warrant a lucrative contract.
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Daniel Jones must be vastly better in 2023
With one of the toughest schedules in the NFL, it’s imperative that Jones continues to improve if the team is going to make it back to the playoffs in 2023.
The biggest area Jones needs to improve in is pushing the ball downfield. Last season he tied Matt Ryan for the league’s worst average depth per target at 6.5 yards. The inability to stretch the field and create quick scoring opportunities contributed to the team being 2-6 against teams who qualified for the playoffs in 2022.
General manager Joe Schoen saw this glaring weakness, which is why he spent the offseason acquiring playmakers with speed. First, he signed free agent receiver Parris Campbell, traded for tight end Darren Waller, and then selected Tennessee wideout Jalin Hyatt with the 73rd overall pick in the draft.
With the added offensive playmakers at his disposal, Jones will be expected to perform at a much higher level than last year. In fact, if the team is unable to resolve its contract dispute with Saquon Barkley, Jones will be asked to carry the team. It’s hard to envision New York’s offense being productive without their most dynamic playmaker, but that will be their fate if Barkley decides to hold out. This would put the onus on Jones to play like a top-10 QB and carry the team on his back.
Some may see this as a daunting task since the team still doesn’t have a true number-one wideout. But based on how Jones has carried himself during his career, he’ll see this as an opportunity to prove his doubters wrong.
With the Giants facing five playoff teams from a season ago in the first six weeks, it won’t take long for us to see if Jones is taking the next step in his progression. Or for him to resort to his old ways and for people to assume that last season was just an aberration.
It goes without question that few players around the league are under more pressure heading into the 2023 season than Jones.
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