When the 2019 season began, the initial plan for the New York Giants was to feature Eli Manning at quarterback and march forward with their esteemed veteran in hopes of making a playoff appearance. However, the team was nowhere near being ready to earn a spot in the postseason, especially with ample youth in the secondary and a lack of pass-rush talent on the defensive line.
Manning was quickly escorted off the first-team by week three, and that’s where the legend of Daniel Jones began. Jones won his first two contests, squeaking out a marginal victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a missed field goal by Matt Gay as time expired.
However, it established a winning presence for a Giants team that hadn’t felt a change of atmospheric pressure in years. Nonetheless, Jones wound up losing a majority of his starts in year one as an NFL quarterback, but it saw his development improve significantly.
Jones finished the campaign with 3,027 yards and 24 touchdowns over 12 starts, earning him solid numbers as a rookie. He did post 12 interceptions and 18 fumbles. Throwing the ball, Jones was efficient and tallied a 2:1 TD-INT ration, showing his abilities in the pocket. His fumbles remain a concern, as they looked eerily similar to Manning’s issues over the last decade.
The 18 fumbles can be fixed, though, as getting rid of the ball and developing more awareness should help him alleviate that specific concern.
The New York Giants will give him support this offseason:
With the No. 4 and 36 overall picks in the draft, Big Blue can add a quality tackle to protect Jones for the foreseeable future. Toss in the $85 million in cap space they will have available to spend, and the offense should be in good shape with Jones at the helm.
A lack of offensive line efficiency severely hurt Jones in 2019, increasing his fumble issues and putting him under constant pressure. The Giants must give him the security and peace of mind to know he has time in the pocket to operate at a high level.
His development is directly correlated to his front five, and Gettleman must do everything possible to put the young passer in a position to succeed. That will be the only way for him to take a significant jump in 2020.