I was standing at the intersection of Broadway and 2nd Avenue in Nashville, Tennessee the night the New York Giants selected Daniel Jones in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. I’ll never forget the shock and awe that crept over the crowd as fans stood in disbelief. The Giants were the laughingstock of the NFL that night.
The move was criticized ad nauseam over the course of the spring and summer. Then, the preseason came, and Jones played pretty damn well. Some of those critics started to change their view on the guy. But, the common belief was still that 2019 would be a year for Jones to learn and develop under Manning. The Giants dropped to a deflating 0-2, suffering pretty bad losses to the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills by a combined score of 63-31.
So, the Giants made the change – Jones would start. It seemed a little ahead of schedule, but at this point in the season, there’s still a chance to salvage what’s left and be competitive. So why not? As it turned out, it could be a move that potentially saves this 2019 season for the G-Men.
All Jones did in his Giants debut was lead an 18-point comeback to snatch a victory away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Daniel. Jones.
— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2019
That is all. #NYGvsTB pic.twitter.com/7WCnwSMaCT
That final stat line reads 23/36 for 336 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 112.7. He also tacked on two touchdowns on the ground, and led the Giants in rushing with 28 yards. The last time a quarterback led the Giants in rushing was 2000 (Kerry Collins).
But, when you look at what went right for Jones, it’s easy to see that he clearly brings an athletic dynamic to the quarterback position that Manning simply doesn’t possess. To me, what was most impressive was not how he ran (I thought he actually looked a little reminiscent of Peyton Manning on that first touchdown run – awkward and not-so-graceful). But, it was more of his ability to recognize when to run. He identified when the Bucs defense dropped into man coverage, and knew he could pick up yardage without having a defender on him. That’s savvy!
Moreover, he elevated the talent around him yesterday. Sterling Shepard had 42 yards all season prior to yesterday’s game. He finished with seven catches for 100 yards and a touchdown against the Bucs. Darius Slayton hadn’t had a catch all season! Yesterday, he caught three for 82 yards, including a clutch 46-yard reception. The Giants receiving corps has been looking for somebody to step up – maybe Slayton is the guy! We know what a weapon Evan Engram can be, but even he saw an uptick with Jones at the helm, averaging 18.8 yards per catch, a figure that is his best of the young season. All of this, and the Giants were without their primary play-maker, Saquon Barkley, for most of the game.
It’s hard to say that this is ‘vindication’ for Daniel Jones after just one good game…against an opponent that’s still trying to find its way under a new head coach, no less. But, it’s a damn good start.
We’ll have to see how much of a factor Barkley’s high ankle sprain becomes for this offense. And, the Giants defense is still giving up 31.3 points per game. That’s something Jones can’t fix. But, there’s a lot more reason for optimism in New York than there was a week ago. Of that, I’m certain.
Finally, I don’t want to rub it in to my friends who are fans of the Cleveland Browns, but this is just hilarious:
Daniel Jones runs this in. Baker doesn’t. Makes you think. pic.twitter.com/n2iyA2aiEG
— Jack McGuire (@JackMacCFB) September 23, 2019
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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