In the second win of the preseason for the New York Giants and their rookie quarterback Daniel Jones, things were a bit different. That’s not saying that Jones had a bad game – he did throw a touchdown that wasn’t that different from his first of the preseason against the Jets, and showed off his arm a bit, but Jones didn’t throw a perfect game this time like he did in the preseason’s week one.
Despite the touchdown Jones did have some mistakes – aside from the expected things, such as not completing every passing attempt this time like he did in his first game, Jones had a couple of fumbles that stood out in the otherwise good performance and showed that the rookie still has some ways to go.
Against a good defense such as the Bears, Jones found himself under pressure while playing from the end of the first quarter into the end of the first half, and responded with mixed success, getting the ball off in a decent amount of time but also getting hit and dropping the ball once and dropping the ball on the snap once, neither fumble being recovered and giving the Bears a couple of possessions that, if this was a regular season game, could have had far worse results for the Giants.
This might not be the worst thing in the world, however. While Jones did lead the Giants quarterbacks in this particular game with an 11-14 statline in completions and attempts, as well as 161 yards and a touchdown, the fact that Jones showed he’s still a rookie will go some ways in aiding the team’s plans.
That is, their plans to keep Jones on the bench for this season under Eli Manning, something that could be challenged if Jones plays too well during the preseason. There’s already been a lot of speculation about Jones coming in during the season, but for the sake of Jones, it would likely be better if the Giants allowed him more time to improve his game and left him on the bench.
Showing some imperfections helps remind everyone why the Giants aren’t making this a QB competition immediately in the first place. Although ultimately, the next two preseason games still have the potential to change things one way or the other.