When another dreadful season for the New York Giants comes to a conclusion on Sunday, an offseason full of uncertainty will begin. It’s extremely likely that the team will move on from second-year head coach Pat Shurmur, who boasts an abysmal .297% winning percentage – the third-worst percentage in NFL history among coaches with at least 60 games. The team could also move on from defensive coordinator James Bettcher, general manager Dave Gettleman, and a number of players. There is one thing that is certain though – Daniel Jones. The rookie QB from Duke has lived up to the sixth overall pick and has made all the skeptics keep their mouths shut. In another lost season for Big Blue, Jones has been one of the few bright spots, and he deserves more praise for it.
Why Daniel Jones Deserves More Praise
The franchise records he’s setting
From the moment Jones was drafted back in April, he was already being compared to a fellow Giant – 2x Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning. Every fan knew it was going to be difficult to try and fill the shoes of a New York legend, but Jones certainly has shown flashes of being the next franchise great. He has already set a number of franchise records during his rookie campaign.
He now holds the record of most completions by a rookie (256), destroying the old record of 162. This past Sunday, he broke the franchise record for most passing touchdowns by a rookie. He is at 23 for the season, with another game to go. His 11 straight games with at least one passing touchdown also broke the previous record of 9. Besides wins, Jones has broken or been within reach of almost every rookie record for the Giants.
The NFL records he’s setting/approaching
While it is impressive enough to set franchise records, what truly screams volume about a player’s talent is his stats compared to others across the league. Jones has set multiple records this year and still has a chance to break one during Sunday’s game against Philadelphia.
There have been only five times in NFL history where a rookie QB threw for at least 300 yards, accounted for 4 total touchdowns, and didn’t throw an interception. Daniel Jones has done it four of those times. Prior to last Sunday’s game against Washington, no rookie had ever thrown for at least 350 yards and 5 touchdowns without an interception. Jones is now the lone player to accomplish the feat.
With Jones’ 23 passing touchdowns this year, he is quickly approaching the NFL record of 27, set by Cleveland’s Baker Mayfield just last season. While it will be difficult for Jones to achieve the feat, it’s not impossible. Philadelphia’s defense has been in the middle of the pack the entire season, giving up 239.3 passing yards per game and allowing 22.5 points per game. If anyone were to throw four touchdowns again, Jones would be a safe bet.
His impressive stats
It is tough to immediately become a good QB in the NFL, but it appears Jones has done that with ease. He has had a better passer rating (88.9) than Tom Brady, as well as Jared Goff – both players who are paid like elite QB’s. His 25 total touchdowns are tied for the 12th most in the NFL. And with a game to go still, those numbers can continue to grow.
When the Giants drafted Jones sixth overall last April, they were criticized for reaching on a player who had rather average stats in college. But threw the first 11 games of his young career, it is clear Jones is on the path towards success. He has been the reason Giants fans have hope for the future. It’s time we put the bad aside and acknowledge the great rookie season that Jones is having.