There are plenty of positives to take away from the New York Giants‘ first win of the season under rookie quarterback Daniel Jones. Not gone unnoticed, but perhaps overlooked, was Jones’ poise under pressure, and it will be impactful going forward.
The Daniel Jones era began in arguably the most exciting manner possible as the sixth overall pick delivered the first win of the season for the New York Giants. Down at one point by 18 points, and with star running back Saquon Barkley regulated to the sideline, Jones led the Giants’ largest comeback victory in 49 years.
How did Jones accomplish such a feat? Well, he carved up the Tampa Buccaneers through the air (336 passing yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions) and on the ground (four rushes for 28 yards and two touchdowns). But most importantly, he accomplished all this while under pressure, demonstrating the poise of a veteran quarterback.
And yet, Jones is just 22 years old and accomplished all the above in his first regular-season start, on the road, and with limited weapons around him. Truth be told, it really blows your mind (doesn’t it Baker Mayfield?)
That is the takeaway that perhaps is not garnering as much attention but absolutely cannot be overlooked: that Jones demonstrated veteran poise under pressure.
The numbers back up the statement as well, as Daniel Jones had a perfect passer rating while under pressure in Sunday’s win over Tampa Bay (EstablishTheRun.com). Jones is also the first quarterback to record a perfect passer rating with at least 12 pressured pass attempts since the creation of Pro Football Focus back in 2007 (The Athletic).
Daniel Jones is still a rookie quarterback, so he’s expected to make mistakes and go through the growing pains this season. Of course, the magic could continue on a weekly basis, but more often than not he’ll have a few bad games to along with what we witnessed on Sunday.
But if he continues to show that veteran poise with opposing defenses in his face, then that’s a very good sign for the Giants going forward. To express that self-assurance this early in his career, well, it really does blow your mind.
That bodes well for New York going forward this season, and it will prove to be impactful in making this year a positive one.