N.Y. Giants: Daniel Jones Remains the Outstanding Problem

From the desk of: DO IT FOR THE DUKE

WEEK EIGHT

Bucs      25

Giants   23

FINAL

Eight Weeks Left For Daniel Jones To Rewrite His History

Once again, the Giants put themselves in a position to win.  Some would argue they are thwarted by a controversial non-pass interference call with 0:28 left in the game.  If they successfully execute a two-point conversion, the game is tied.  There's certainly something to that. 

Instead, the Giants fall to their seventh loss of the season.  That's the true reality of the situation.  But I'm not down.  After all, this is a rebuilding team, right?  

Despite their unsightly record, I see improvement.  Under Coach Graham, while bereft of linebackers not named Blake Martinez, the defense starts the season well and has only gotten better.  Special teams are fundamentally sound, and in the absence of Saquon Barkley, the running game, albeit padded by Daniel Jones, has rushed for 100+ yards in four of the last five games.  

However, pass protection still leaves much to be desired.  Tampa Bay sacks Jones three times and inflict another eleven QB hits for good luck.  The Hog Mollies this season have allowed the eighth-most sacks, yielding 2.9 per game.  

Left tackle Andrew Thomas is having a rough go in his rookie season, while left guard Will Hernandez was already playing below his own standard before being sidelined by COVID.  

But make no mistake.  Daniel Jones remains an outstanding problem on offense.  The longer it takes for him to set his internal alarm clock, the more he'll continue getting his bell rung by opposing pass rushers.  Jones has now been sacked 51 times in his last 16 games.  

With two more interceptions against the Buccaneers, Daniel Jones now has 35 turnovers through his first 20 career starts.  He is up to 13 turnovers this season through eight games.  Jones gallantly went toe to toe with Tom Brady, but ultimately shot himself in the foot, again.  The first interception is completely avoidable and an otherwise inferior decision by an NFL quarterback.  The second interception takes the Giants out of field goal range - failure to seize the moment. 

Time is indeed ticking.  Eight games remain in the regular season.  Said another way, eight games left before the next NFL Draft.  That's eight games left for Daniel Jones to prove himself worthy of the starting job.  This isn't the first time Jones put the Giants in a position to win only to flip the switch and self-destruct.  Time to prove himself is growing short.  Looking back is no help ... not with 20 fumbles in his last 16 games.  That certainly doesn't speak very well.  Nor does the fact that he is yet to throw for 300 yards this season.  

Today's NFL is a pass/fail condition.  That's just the lay of the land.  Alas, he has the next eight games to finally impress people and change some minds.  For the moment, Daniel Jones is a defective item more than a valued good.  Twenty starts worth of product testing have thus far revealed a lack of pocket presence, latent situational instincts, and poor decision making .. to say the least.

Thirty-two quarters of regulation football remain.  The more games Danny Dimes wins, the farther down the Giants fall in the draft order.  He is effectively his own anti-tank weapon against Dave Gettleman.  With no shot at (Clemson) Trevor Lawrence, it's more likely Daniel Jones remains safely at quarterback.

But can he win over the naysayers ...