New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones had a rough go at it in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season against the Minnesota Vikings, but those close to the franchise have not given up hope on him just yet, including one of the best to ever represent Big Blue.
Could Daniel Jones’ starting job be in question?
A single game may not seem like enough to quit on the Duke University product, but his struggles date back to the 2023 campaign. Though he posted a career-high completion percentage (67.5 percent) last year, the offensive line did him no justice as he was sacked 30 times in just over five full games played on the campaign.
To make matters worse than his torn ACL suffered in Week 9 of that year did, Jones had his starting job questioned for the bulk of the offseason with rumors that the coaching staff and top brass in the front office ranks had a favorable eye toward marquee backup QB acquisition Drew Lock.
Jones has now made his way back from the debilitating injury. However, he picked up where he left off by going 22-42 for 186 passing yards and a 0-2 TD-INT ratio in their 28-6 loss to the Vikings. A new firestorm of backlash has subsequently come his way. But that has been quelled by supportive words from two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning.
Giants QB Daniel Jones receives words of support from franchise legend Eli Manning
In a recent interview with Jason Fitz of Yahoo Sports, Manning had this to say about whether or not he thinks Jones can be an elite quarterback in the league, and substantiated his claim with a detailed description of the former 2019 No. 6 overall pick’s commendable work ethic, saying in part:
“I do. I do. I’ve seen how hard he works. I’ve seen his commitment. I’ve seen his attitude and how he’s a leader in the locker room, and does all of the things right. He’s going to work hard. He’s coachable,” Manning raved before further saying that “we’ve seen the glimpses,” inferring that the North Carolina native can return to the level of play that saw him lead the Giants to a playoff berth in 2022.
Can Daniel Jones right the ship in 2024?
As Manning attested to, Jones does have more talent at his disposal, in the receiving game that is. The Giants have brought back their wide receiver room of Darius Slayton, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Jalin Hyatt, and added 2024 No. 6 overall pick Malik Nabers to that equation.
While New York no longer has superstar running back Saquon Barkley controlling their ground game, they did replace him with Devin Singletary, who came close to rushing for 1,000 yards last time out.
Individually speaking, Jones will need to do what he does best by utilizing his legs to help free up opportunities for himself and his teammates down the field.
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He was not able to protect the football against the Vikings, but such may not be the case in Week 2 when the Giants head to Washington to take on the Commanders team that took away the third-fewest interceptions in 2023 with eight, the sixth-fewest sacks (39) and the second-highest first down percentage (36.4 percent), and have picked up where they left off by allowing a whopping 15 first downs in the air at a 50 percent rate in Week 1 of 2024. Many signs point to Week 2 being a prime opportunity for Jones to get his footing under him.
After the Giants’ meeting with the Commanders, they’ll face a mixed bag of competition from Weeks 3-7, including key divisional matchups against undefeated Super Bowl contenders in the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, as well as the Cincinnati Bengals (0-1), while also having games against the Cleveland Browns (0-1) and Seattle Seahawks (1-0). He’ll have several chances to prove Manning right.
If not, he may need to look over his shoulder for Lock or third-string QB Tommy DeVito, who will both be hoping for a shot at usurping him in the starting lineup at some point this year.
