Sitting at 0-2 on the season and last in the NFC East, the New York Giants are far from being a competitive team, which poses the question — What does Daniel Jones offer the offense over Eli Manning?
The rookie passer played in just one drive this season against the Dallas Cowboys in week one. He went 3-for-4 with 17 yards passing and a fumble. Factoring in the rookie jitters and playing in Jerry World, Jones was set up for failure in his debut, but he will now have the opportunity to change the narrative.
Head coach Pat Shurmur was asked about the status of his quarterbacks earlier on Monday:
“Obviously, Eli’s been our starter to this point,†Shurmur said at his Monday post-game news conference. “I’m not really ready to get into any of those conversations about any position.
“We’re going to talk about everything we’re doing moving forward. That’s fair at this point. We’re 0-2. There are areas where we have to get better. We’re going to address all areas and try to find ways to put a winning performance on the field.â€
Shurmur was asked straight up: “Is Eli your starting quarterback this week?”
“He’s been our starter to this point,†Shurmur said with a hint of frustration. “I don’t want to talk about anything else moving forward from that standpoint. Not ready to discuss that.â€
Asked again about the quarterback situation:
“I don’t want to be dishonest with anyone. Like I said, we’re evaluating everything moving forward, and I’m not ready to talk about all that right now.â€
Just one day later on Tuesday morning, Shurmur took the conversation in a different direction:
“Eli and I spoke this morning, I told him that we are making a change and going with Daniel. I also talked to Daniel. Eli was obviously disappointed, as you would expect, but said he would be what he has always been, a good teammate and help prepare this team to win.”
Why the New York Giants made the switch:
Manning, who is dangerously close to falling below a career .500 record, simply isn’t helping the progression of the team at his age. Ultimately, replacing Manning isn’t a consequence of his performance, but rather the reality of the situation.
The Giants, who have been featuring a 15-year veteran at quarterback that hasn’t gotten the job done, are now 0-2 on the season and facing another disappointing campaign. Making the switch allows them to finally turn the page and commit to their rebuild.
The answer is simple — Jones needs to play and gain experience; otherwise, the Giants would just be wasting their own time in an attempt to make Manning happy once again. This team is far from being a contender, and a majority of the blame lands on the defense. If the Giants aren’t going to make any trades to sure up the secondary, they’re better off fielding Jones and hoping he can gain the necessary tools to succeed next season.