New York Giants: Daniel Jones’s Up And Down Play Connected To Pressure Rate

The New York Giants stunned the world in April when they drafted Duke quarterback prospect Daniel Jones with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Since then, Jones has become the Giants starting quarterback, led them to two wins, and has strung together numerous impressive performances.

But through Daniel’s first six career starts, there has been a lot to like from the rookie’s play. He has shown aggression throwing downfield, mobility inside and outside of the pocket, and excellent accuracy. But Daniel has also shown inconsistent pocket presence, questionable decision making, and a bit of a fumbling problem.

Jones has had his ups and his downs. The potential for greatness is certainly there and has flashed throughout the season. But Daniel Jones’s flaws and rookie mistakes are creating a bit of a roller coaster experience. Interestingly, statistics show that these ups and downs might be directly correlated to the amount of the pressure that the Giants’ offensive line is letting up.

A High-Pressure Rate Leading To Turnovers

The New York Giants’ offensive line had high hopes heading into the 2019 season. So far, however, the unit has fallen flat. The main liabilities on the line are the two tackles. Veterans Nate Solder and Mike Remmers are not playing up to par thus far.

According to Pro Football Focus, Nate Solder has allowed 7 sacks and 33 pressures through eight weeks. This has led to a few drives being killed and a few too many blindside hits on Daniel Jones resulting in sack-fumbles. Mike Remmers has not been much better, allowing over 20 pressures from the right side.

Since Daniel Jones became the starter, he has faced the 2nd-highest percentage of dropbacks under pressure in the entire NFL. This is an insurmountable obstacle for most rookie quarterbacks and it has definitely had an effect on Daniel Jones’s performance.

Since becoming the Giants’ starting quarterback, Daniel Jones is tied for the most turnover-worthy plays in the NFL (according to PFF). This obviously includes Daniel’s 7 interceptions and 7 fumbles in the past 6 games, along with any other poor throws leading to dropped interceptions or fumbles that were recovered by the Giants.

As previously stated though, it has not been all bad for Daniel. In fact, it has been mostly good. Daniel Jones has made a number of impressive plays, separating himself from almost all other rookie and sophomore quarterbacks. Plus, it is hard to determine how many of these plays are really Daniel’s fault and how many of them can have the blame placed on the offensive line.

Throwing Dimes, Despite The Pressure

The pressure is definitely leading Daniel to make some rookie mistakes. But for the most part, Jones has risen above the offensive line’s mistakes. PFF also points out that Daniel Jones is 6th in the NFL in “Big-Time Throws” since becoming the starter. Here is a link for more clarification on what exactly a “Big-Time Throw” is. To sum, they are the most impressive/difficult throws to be made. Daniel is making them at a high rate, too.

The Danny Dimes are the good that’s weighing out the bad. Maybe Daniel Jones is not leading New York to wins lately, but that is not entirely his fault. The Giants’ defense is one of the league’s worst, and as previously mentioned, Jones is lining up behind a below-average offensive line.

Daniel Jones’s excellent week 8 performance is a perfect example of his up-and-down playing style. Daniel completed 28 of his 41 attempts for 322 yards, 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions against the Lions. But he did have an ugly fumble in the first quarter, along with two other turnover-worthy plays (like an interception ruled incomplete/out of bounds in the first quarter).

Jones threw some excellent passes in Detroit. His game wasn’t too sloppy. The high-end plays are enough to give Giants fans hope as they see his true potential as an NFL quarterback. Jones can be one of the league’s best if he cuts down his turnover-rate. But in order for that to happen, the Giants’ offensive line will need to make some serious improvements to keep their young quarterback from being flustered and making mistakes.