The New York Giants made a “calculated†decision last week to start quarterback Daniel Jones, according to head coach Joe Judge. While some believed that starting Jones would be problematic, considering he suffered a right hamstring injury that kept him out in the Week 14 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, others concluded he was healthy enough to start.
Jones relies heavily on his legs to extend plays and move outside the pocket, which was simply unavailable to him against the Arizona Cardinals this past weekend. He finished the game with 127 yards through the air and didn’t pick up a single yard on the ground — an uncharacteristic stat-line for the second-year quarterback.
In fact, this is the only game Jones didn’t rush a single time, and the second game of the season, he didn’t pick up positive yardage. On the year, Jones has 403 rushing yards and a score, averaging 7.3 yards per attempt, indicating just how influential that factor is in his game. However, he was forced to stay in the pocket against a tantalizing Arizona defensive front, which racked up eight sacks on the day and forced three Jones fumbles.
Of course, a solid portion of the blame regarding the offenses inept should land on coordinator Jason Garrett, who drew up a game plan that resembled nothing short of incompetent. This game was lost on the drawing board, as the coaches didn’t formulate an offensive plan to keep Arizona honest on defense.
They even admitted that they didn’t expect the four linebacker front that the Cardinals displayed throughout the contest. Their man-coverage easily matched up against the Giants’ wide receivers, who failed to even reach league average in yards of separation.
Nonetheless, Jones walked away from the loss with an additional injury, a low ankle sprain on his left leg. He is now carrying an ankle sprain and a right hamstring injury that has already hampered him over the past two weeks.
So that poses the question, should the New York Giants sit him against the Cleveland Browns and start Colt McCoy?
In McCoy’s only start of the season, the Giants managed to overcome a strong Seahawks team, but McCoy didn’t win the game for the offense. He threw for 105 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. He was only sacked twice in the improbable win, attesting to how dominant the OL performed. However, they backed it up with an eight-sack performance against Arizona, a polarizing display.
Personally, I feel as though the Giants should take the safe route here, starting McCoy and saving Jones for a later day. His inability to run is a clear advantage for opposing defenses, who know how to attack him in the passing game. McCoy might not be a better option in any facet, but he can move a bit more efficiently and is an unknown for opposing defenses.
What do you think the Giants should do? Should I start Daniel Jones despite the injuries or McCoy against Cleveland? Comment below!