The pressure is mounting for New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones entering his third season in the NFL, but there is hope he can take his game to the next level with the bolstering of the offense. Last season under coordinator Jason Garrett, the offense sputtered to a minimum, as Jones posted less than 3,000 yards and only 11 touchdowns.
While Daniel saw his completion percentage increase from 61.9% to 62.5%, his production was mostly disappointing, but the variables that had a negative impact held him back considerably. Ranging from the lack of preseason and in-person training to an arsenal of weapons that would best mimic a Monty Python movie, he was set to fail from the beginning.
However, despite failing to increase the talent levels on the offensive line, the Giants spent an exorbitant amount of capital bolstering the wide receiver corps, adding Kadarius Toney, Kenny Golladay, and John Ross. On paper, the Giants have a much-improved unit, which Jones should benefit from, especially in the passing game.
NFL.com analyst Gil Brandt is confident that Jones will take a big step in 2021 after the bolstering of the offense:
I have faith that Jones will answer the doubters and settle his spot as the Giants’ long-term QB in Year 3, thanks in no small part to the massive improvements made around him in the lineup. The additions of Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney and Kyle Rudolph, along with the return to health of running back Saquon Barkley, mean Jones will be working with the most firepower he’s ever had at his disposal. Don’t be swayed too much by Jones’ lackluster TD-to-INT ratio (11:10) last season; the fact that he completed 62.5 percent of his passes despite working with pass catchers who had a hard time hanging on to the ball (the Giants ranked 12th in the NFL with 30 drops, per Pro Football Focus) is a good sign. I think the former top-10 pick has a chance to put up 20 TDs and complete over 64 percent of his passes in 2021.
The return of Saquon Barkley should have a major impact on the attention defenses allocate toward Jones and the receivers. It will force teams to operate with more defenders in the box, opening up the deeper portions of the field and shifty route runners like Toney and Sterling Shepard to dominate in space.
Jones has all the tangible traits to be a fantastic quarterback, including mobility, accuracy, and downfield prowess. If he can click on all cylinders and gain confidence as the season progresses, Jones could see that Year 3 jump we desperately need, otherwise the Giants will once again have to revert to the drawing board. Luckily, they have two first-round picks next year they can utilize as a last resort.