New York Giants: Give Daniel Jones a break, there’s a reason he struggled against the Patriots

Facing off against the New England Patriots was always a daunting task for the New York Giants and rookie quarterback, Daniel Jones. Jones finished the night with 15 completions on 31 attempts for 161 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions. He had a bumpy evening considering the Patriots defense—the number one unit in the league and hadn’t allowed a passing score until Golden Tate’s 64-yard juggling circus catch.

Nobody expected Jones to dominate in this matchup, mainly because he was without his top three playmakers and backup running back. Losing Saquon Barkley, Sterling Shepard, and Evan Engram to injury significantly hurt his chances of success and put him at a disadvantage right out of the gate.

The Giants defense played exceptionally well, though, despite allowing 35 points. They returned a fumble for a touchdown and hung in there until the fourth quarter when they ran out of gas. A windy night in Foxboro is never an easy one, and Jones gained essential experience against one of the best defenses he will likely ever see as a professional football player.

The Giants will now have 1-1/2 weeks to recover/nurse injuries and prepare for the Arizona Cardinals, a far less intimidating opponent. Jones will be heading into this match up with a problematic game under his belt but the confidence and coolness to overcome adversity. He stuck in there until the very end and took some big hits, but he bounced right back up and continued to throw the ball to his only respectable target in Tate.

The biggest weakness for New York Giants rookie, Daniel Jones:

There was no question that Jones would struggle in his rookie season, but his primary deficiency has been his turnover rate. He has eight turnovers in his first four starts—six interceptions and two fumbles. Half of his interceptions came against the Patriots, and he admittedly did not play well.

Head coach Pat Shurmur stated after the game, “obviously, you can’t do that.”

In regards to Jones and is receiving corps on Thursday night, Golden Tate only averaged 1.10 yards of separation on nine targets. Daniel made 48% of his throws into tight windows, the highest rate by any quarterback in the game of the past four seasons. What does this mean? The Giants receivers are not getting away from opposing corners and creating space for the rookie passer to throw the ball. This inevitably increases the turnover rate and incomplete passes.