After spending four seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills, Brian Daboll will be the next head coach for the New York Giants moving forward.
One of the biggest selling points on Daboll was his ability to develop Josh Allen into an elite quarterback, watching his statistics increase significantly over the past few seasons.
Allen now ranks among some of the best quarterbacks in football, just missing the MVP last year and arguably having an even better season in 2021. He was recently knocked out of the post-season in a shootout with Kansas City as a result of a coin toss.
Daboll has helped Allan rise from throwing just 2,074 yards in 2018 to 4,407 yards, and 36 touchdown passes this past season.
The Giants hope he can instill a similar confidence and productive style in Daniel Jones, who looked robotic under coordinators Jason Garrett and Freddie Kitchens, for the short while that Kitchens had him.
Jones had his best season back in his rookie year, throwing 3,027 yards and 24 touchdown passes. Jones has been more efficient with turning the football over, but throwing just 10 touchdown passes this season is unacceptable for a quarterback that needs to be far more proficient.
One of the ways that Daboll got the most out of Allan was by giving him the luxury of flexibility and using his instincts. It is borderline impossible for the Giants to elevate Jones to the status that Allan currently holds, but at the very least, they might be able to extract a competent quarterback for 2022 as they decide on their future at the position.
In fact, the Giants’ new head coach reportedly “loves” Jones and what he has to offer, but general manager Joe Schoen indicated they would review the film and determine his long-term plan in the near future.
I heard mid-week this that Daboll absolutely loves Daniel Jones—makes sense now. Good for him-good for DJ. https://t.co/r3fCELwTyU
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) January 28, 2022
It is possible that the Giants only use Jones as a stopgap quarterback, looking ahead to the 2023 draft for a new passer like Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud out of Ohio State.
The 2022 NFL draft will give us a great preview of what the new strategy is. If they elect to trade back and add more value for a draft, it could indicate they have a quarterback in mind or at least a backup plan in case Jones struggles to take a step forward in his fourth season.
One thing is for sure, the evolution of Daboll’s playcalling will undoubtedly provide Jones with a better opportunity to succeed. Joe Judge and his conservative style limited Jones’s production significantly, and Garrett running the 2004 Norv Turner office severely restricted his development.
Either way, Daboll offers the best opportunity for Jones to reach his potential, and owner John Mara indicated during Schoen’s opening press conference that they’ve done everything possible to screw the kid up.