After a tough loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday afternoon, the New York Giants have a ton of self-reflection to do before trotting back out onto the field against the Detroit Lions in week eight.
Sitting at 2-5 on the season, the team is rightfully frustrated and disheartened, and head coach Pat Shurmur hasn’t done them any favors when it comes to time management and quality decision making.
The New York Giants can’t count on their head coach to help them win games:
Shurmur was the difference between winning and losing against Arizona, which is hugely concerning considering this is his second season as head coach for the Giants and has helped build the team. At the end of the day, he might be a better offensive coordinator than head coach. Alternatively, maybe he needs to give up play-calling and focus on managing his time in-game.
Rookie quarterback Daniel Jones has taken a beating at times due to these porous calls, but he tried his best to stay positive after the defeat.
“Yeah, we’re frustrated. Everyone is frustrated. But I don’t think we’re discouraged at all. We’ll be back to work tomorrow. We’ll be looking forward to the opportunity against Detroit. We’re frustrated, but kind of rightfully so. We all know we can play better, and we’re determined to play better. So, back to work tomorrow.”
Jones took a lot of the blame, as he did throw an early interception and fumbled three times. Three of the turnovers resulted in points, 17 points to be exact. He is a primary reason the team has struggled, and there’s no denying that fact, but his teammates have not done him any favors either.
When asked about his development and progress, he stated:
“I think I’m making progress in some areas, and still need to improve a lot in others. Obviously, taking care of the ball is a big thing, and has been. To not do that today is disappointing. I have to get better there.”
There’s plenty of time and future experience for Jones to enjoy, but his current struggles seem to be consistent. Ball security and forcing passes are two weaknesses he needs to develop into strengths. Rookie seasons are meant for those exact issues, however.