Giants' Daniel Jones Impresses Experts, Fans in Preseason Game vs. Bengals
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones got the start in Sunday's preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals, and although he tossed an interception, he had an overall solid outing.
The 25-year-old completed 14-of-16 passes for 116 yards and one interception before exiting. However, the turnover wasn't completely his fault, as tight end Daniel Bellinger should have caught the ball. Instead, it bounced off his hands and was picked by Dax Hill.
Jones also completed an impressive 14-yard pass to David Sills V.
Fans lauded Jones following his second consecutive preseason appearance, noting that he looks like a much more confident quarterback under new head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.
The Giants selected Jones sixth overall in the 2019 NFL draft out of Duke, and he has been underwhelming over the last three seasons. However, he had to deal with the constant turnover of the coaching staff, which hasn't been ideal for his development.
The franchise expects Jones to take a big step forward in 2022 under new leadership, and if he doesn't, his time in New York might be over. The Giants declined his fifth-year option, and Jones will become an unrestricted free agent if he doesn't sign a new deal.
The Giants are slated to open the regular season on Sept. 11 against the Tennessee Titans.
Giants' Brian Daboll Has 'Full Confidence' in Daniel Jones amid Preseason Struggles
New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll said he has "full confidence" in Daniel Jones despite the quarterback's continued struggles during training camp.
Daboll acknowledged Tyrod Taylor will start getting some first-team work but said Tuesday that it was no reflection of his belief in Jones. Taylor got extended work in the Giants' preseason opener, throwing for 129 yards and a touchdown after replacing Jones when the starters exited the game.
Jones, heading into his fourth NFL season, completed six of his 10 passes for 69 yards but took significant criticism on social media for a seeming lack of progress in his decision-making. Those criticisms come amid several reports from training camp indicating the Giants offense has not been flowing as Daboll hoped.
Daboll joined the Giants this offseason after previously spending four seasons as the Buffalo Bills' offensive coordinator. The Giants front office hoped Daboll's brilliance in developing Josh Allen would carry over to Jones, who has not looked like an NFL starter through his first three seasons.
While it will be impossible to make a judgment before the regular season begins, it appears Daboll is not having success. Jones is on his third head coach in four seasons, with Daboll's two predecessors losing their jobs in part because of the quarterback's lack of progress.
The Duke product is 12-25 over his first 37 career starts, throwing for 8,398 yards and 45 touchdowns against 29 interceptions. He's thrown just 21 touchdowns over his last two seasons after tossing 24 as a rookie.
Taylor is a journeyman on his sixth NFL team and would do little more than act as a stopgap in the Giants' search for a franchise quarterback. He did not look strong in six starts with the Houston Texans last season and was eventually replaced by rookie Davis Mills.
That said, Taylor does have a 26-25-1 record as a starter and at least has a history of avoiding major mistakes through the air. Daboll has no ties to Jones and will almost certainly look to replace him next offseason, so it would not be a surprise if Taylor winds up slotting into the starting job if Jones struggles out of the gate.
Daniel Jones, Giants OL Called out on Twitter for Preseason Struggles vs. Patriots
When the New York Giants offensive line heard this could be a make-or-break season for Daniel Jones, it apparently took those comments literally.
Jones played well enough in limited work Thursday night against the New England Patriots, going 6-of-10 for 69 yards.
Based on the state of his pass-blocking, though, the fourth-year quarterback might be fortunate to make it to Week 8.
Jones was culpable to some extent, though, since he still seems to struggle with understanding how quickly he needs to make reads in the pocket.
And while preseason games mean little in the grand scheme of things, nothing from Thursday night will change anybody's opinion of the 25-year-old.
The writing was on the wall when the Giants declined Jones' fifth-year option for 2023. He's almost assuredly not the long-term solution under center, and it won't be surprising if Tyrod Taylor replaces him at some point in the season ahead.