Giants' Daniel Jones has another chance to state his case on being long-term QB with Sunday Night Football appearance
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) jogs off the field at halftime of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Seattle. Credit: AP/Lindsey Wasson
Daniel Jones was asked about the lights.
He was asked about playing in prime time and having every snap dissected.
His answer, again and again, was to say that Sunday night’s game at MetLife Stadium against the Bengals is an exciting opportunity to play and win a football game.
What he did not say was that it is yet another occasion to make a persuasive argument on his long-term future with the Giants.
“I'm excited to get out there. I think we all are. It should be an awesome atmosphere for football,” Jones said. “I'm excited to play at home. I'm excited to get in front of the fans and looking forward to the opportunity.”
Entering this season, the Giants were in the awkward position of rebuilding and wanting and needing to compete simultaneously. And in that unwieldy mix were questions that need to be answered:
Can Jones finally become the heir apparent to Eli Manning as the franchise quarterback? Or is he a placeholder for an indeterminate period of time?
Through five games, there has not been any more clarity than there was before the start of training camp.
Jones has completed 114 of 178 passes for 1,138 yards and six touchdowns against three interceptions. This is where the arguments for and against him begin.
His critics would point out that he ranks 22nd in the NFL in both passer rating (86.3%) and completion percentage (64%). His defenders point out that Jones threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns in last Sunday’s 29-20 win over the Seahawks.
“He did a nice job distributing the football,” offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said of Jones’ performance in Seattle. “When opportunities came up, he stepped up and ran it well as well. I think it started up front for him. The O-line did a really nice job protecting . . . The skill guys complemented that as well.”
Jones completed passes to five different receivers and rushed for 38 yards on 11 carries (3.8 yards per rush). Seattle’s defense, which is ranked fifth in the NFL in sacks, dropped Jones only three times.
“I think they've been consistently really good,” Jones said of the offensive line. “They’ve played at a high level and protected well against a lot of good pass rushes.”
They did and so did he.
Therein lies another issue: Over the course of his career, the disparity in Jones’ home and road splits are startling.
Jones has thrown for 6,571 yards and 27 touchdowns and 29 interceptions in 32 games at MetLife Stadium. Moreover he has a 63.94 completion percentage and a passer rating of 78.7%. The Giants are 12-19-1 in those games.
By comparison, Jones has a passer rating of 91.8% in 33 road games. He has thrown 41 touchdown passes with 14 interceptions and a 64.5 completion percentage for 7,079 yards. The Giants have lost 21 of those 33 games.
When the topic was broached with Jones, he chose to answer in the macro instead of the micro.
“We want to win every game and play well every game,” Jones said. “It doesn't change when it is or where it is.”
Still, playing well at home would be helpful. So too would a strong performance in prime time. The Giants have managed seven field goals in two games at MetLife this season, the 28-6 loss to Minnesota on Sept. 8 and the 20-15 loss to Dallas 18 days later.
The loss to the Cowboys underscored yet another troubling aspect of Jones’ tenure with the Giants: An inability to win nationally televised contests.
The Giants have lost 13 of 14prime time games Jones has quarterbacked. He has struggled badly in those contests, throwing 19 interceptions and completing only 64% of his passes.
“Over the years, we haven't won enough, period,” Jones said. “So, to say primetime or not, I think we got to win. We know we got to win and play well. I'm confident..”
Nabers still sidelined
Malik Nabers (concussion) did not participate in practice. Daboll said Nabors “was in the same spot (as he was) yesterday,” and was non-committal when asked if the rookie could play Sunday night. Jon Runyan (illness) also did not practice. Running back Devin Singletary (groin) was limited.
