The excuses aren’t valid anymore. Don’t even try. The Giants offensive line is better. Their receivers, especially after the addition of Malik Nabers, are better. No, Saquon Barkley isn’t here anymore, but you’d trade the latter for the former any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Heck, even quarterback-guru Brian Daboll is calling plays.
There is absolutely no reason for Daniel Jones to perform as he did in the Giants’ brutally embarrassing season-opening, 28-6, loss to the Sam Darnold-led Vikings on Sunday. Zero. He needs to be better. He wasn’t. He’s the biggest reason the Giants lost.
And if he’s not going to get better the Giants need to move on.
Drew Lock? Tommy DeVito? Either or.
Enough is enough.
Minnesota’s defense, led for a second year by Brian Flores, is far from the group Jones tore up in his contract-sealing playoff victory two years ago. They’re more talented, thanks to additions like Stephon Gilmore, Ivan Pace, Blake Cashman, and others. They’re among the most creative in their pressure packages. They’re a challenge to opponents. All true.
That’s why few expected the Giants to light up the scoreboard. This game was supposed to be close. And it would have been if anyone else was under center. Jones finished 22-of-42 passing (52 percent) for 186 yards with two interceptions. Most of his yards (49) came in garbage time (fourth quarter) with the game decided. That’s because his first interception (a pick-six to Andrew Van Ginkel at his own 10) sealed the game. His second (Harrison Smith) came in the red zone with the Giants trying to claw back in after a defensive stand of their own (interception from rookie Darius Muasau).
There were other issues for the Giants on Sunday. Darnold, the journeyman backup after flaming out with both the Jets and Panthers, torched their secondary (19-of-24 for 208 yards, two touchdowns, interception). That’s because their supposedly-vaunted pass rushe seldom touched him. Dexter Lawrence, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns combined for one sack (Lawrence) and two quarterback hits (Lawrence and Thibodeaux). Burns had just four tackles. Thibodeaux didn’t have one.
But this game was most an indictment on Jones. He missed open receivers, which thwarted drives. He held the ball too long, which led to sacks (five). Daboll calling plays was supposed to mean a more aggressive attack. Instead, Jones attempted just one pass beyond 20 yards. There were chances to stretch the field, Jones seemed to second-guess what he was seeing.
You expect that from rookies and sophomores – not quarterbacks in their sixth year.
The Giants finished Sunday with 240 yards and 14 first downs. They were 7-of-18 on third down. They scored three points in three red-zone trips.
The Giants tried to replace Jones this offseason. General manager Joe Schoen scouted just about every quarterback under the sun. Hard Knocks cameras showed Daboll gushing over now-Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. New York tried to trade up for the third pick in the draft where they would have selected UNC’s Drake Maye. The Patriots weren’t willing.
That tells you what they think internally about Jones. Their public cries of support and confidence were only because they failed to replace him. Jones talked about having a chip on his shoulder – playing pissed off. That doesn’t appear to have made a difference. So now you wonder how long Jones’ leash is before they see what else they have on the roster.
The Giants signed Lock to back up Jones. He’s a savvy veteran. They have the folk hero DeVito behind him. Neither saw any time with the first-team offense this summer (a poor decision, considering the opener). The Giants wanted to cement their commitment to Jones.
But that’s not worth much now. Daboll is on the hot seat. He made comments to others around the league this summer that he felt he was coaching for his job. Schoen, whose seat is less warm than Daboll, still isn’t guaranteed next year. John Mara is passionate – he wouldn’t even look at reporters (New York Daily News) when approached for comment after the game. He won’t handle his team being an embarrassment. There’s no way the hordes of fans headed for the exits in the third quarter sat well with him.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. It’s nearing that point now. This opener was as ugly as last year’s blowout loss to the Cowboys – maybe worse considering the Vikings are far from the team Dallas is. This was, again, Darnold at the helm. This was the team the Giants beat in the postseason – maybe their only true accomplishment the last decade.
The Giants face the Commanders next week – an up-close look at Daniels for Daboll. You’ll surely read more than a few headlines if the Giants lose comparing this 0-2 start to the ones in 2007 and 2011. Ridiculous, but expected.
The Giants are sticking with Jones for now, Daboll announced after the game. That’s fine.
But that should only be for this week.
One more performance like this and it’s time for a change. First impressions are usually the right impressions. There’s enough evidence now to illustrate Jones is the player Schoen thought he was when he declined his fifth-year option, and not the one he handed that $160-million extension.
Source Agencies
