New York Giants: Daniel Jones’s Mobility Is A True Game Changer

New York Giants, Daniel Jones
Sep 22, 2019; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) runs the ball in for the game winning touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Giants are flying high coming off of an improbable week three victory on the road in Tampa Bay. The Giants beat the Buccaneers 32-31 after rookie Bucs kicker Matt Gay missed a 32-yard field goal attempt for the win.

The Giants were led by rookie quarterback Daniel Jones in his first career NFL start. Jones was spectacular, totaling 4 touchdowns and over 300 yards in a come-from-behind victory.

Two of Daniel’s touchdowns came through the air, but the other two were on the ground. Daniel Jones rushed for 2 touchdowns and 28 yards on 4 carries. This rushing ability was the difference-maker in the Giants’ week three victory and it will be a true game-changer for the future of the Giants’ offense.

How Daniel’s Legs Sunk The Bucs

Obviously, Daniel Jones won the game with his legs. His 4th-down game-winning touchdown run will go down as a legendary moment in Daniel’s career. DJ was an effective runner all day and was running into the end zone while carrying the Giants on his back.

This was Daniel’s second rushing touchdown of the day after he kept the ball on a zone-read and scored his first career touchdown in the second quarter. Daniel Jones also hit incredible top speeds on Sunday. One of Daniel’s runs clocked in a top speed of 19.51 MPH and another run recorded a speed of 19.47 MPH. These runs cement Jones as one of the fastest quarterbacks in the NFL.

Daniel Jones’s rushing ability was on full display in Tampa Bay. But, aside from his ability to rush for yardage, Daniel Jones’s mobility created opportunities for passing yards, too.

The Giants’ offensive line struggled against the Buccaneers’ strong pass-rush. Jones was under pressure frequently and was even sacked 5 times. But on many of those plays where Daniel felt the pressure, he was able to move around in the pocket and buy himself some more time to throw.

This is something the Giants’ offense has been missing for quite some time. The aging Eli Manning lost this ability some time ago and was often a sitting duck in the pocket. Daniel Jones is young and athletic, giving him the ability to navigate the pocket and escape pressure.

A key example of this is Daniel Jones’s deep pass to Darius Slayton in the third quarter. Jones felt the pressure coming from his right side, moved left, then stepped up in the pocket and bombed the football right into Slayton’s hands. A huge play for the Giants and for the future of this offense. The rookie connection between Slayton and Jones is encouraging to see.

 

How This Mobility Will Help The Giants’ Offensive Future

These incredible moments gave us a glimpse of what the Giants’ offense is capable of. But this mobility opens up a lot more opportunities for the Giants.

Defenses will have to gameplan for the Giants differently now. They can no longer send a minimal amount of pass-rushers and drop everyone back into coverage. Eli Manning was never a threat to take off and run with it, so teams did not gameplan for that possibility.

Now defenses will have to be fully aware of Daniel Jones’s mobility on every play. DJ is a threat to pick up yardage every down with his legs or his arm. Additionally, the Giants should soon be incorporating the zone-read option into their offense even more now that they have seen what Jones can do with the ball in space.

Scheming more opportunities for Daniel Jones to run would be wise. It is surprising for defenses to see quarterbacks take off with the ball, which is why it is usually such an effective strategy for them to keep the ball on the read-option. But Jones’s ability to pick up scramble yardage is the real reason the Giants’ offense will begin to flourish.

Additionally, the Giants’ run game should be dominant over the next decade with Saquon Barkley (despite his recent injury). Throwing a mobile quarterback into the mix should only make the Giants’ rushing attack deadlier. The Giants’ offense is finally shifting towards a more modern approach led by Daniel Jones and his rushing ability.