When New York Giants rookie passer Daniel Jones took the field on Sunday against the Washington Redskins, a new sense of hope and relief gushed over the fans in the stadium. A new age had finally begun at home, and things seemed brighter for once.
Jones finished the day with 225 passing yards and a touchdown, but he also threw two interceptions highlighting his rookie hiccups. However, he was impressive in all aspects of his game, once again showing he can be the future and has the tools and skills to be a quality player in the NFL.
Here are the three most impressive things about New York Giants quarterback, Daniel Jones:
1.) Ability to handle adversity
After two consecutive scoring drives to start the game for Jones, he threw two successive interceptions to Quinton Dunbar of the Washington Redskins. After the game, head coach Pat Shurmur commented on the interceptions and how Jones handled them.
Pat Shurmur on Daniel Jones’ reaction to his back-to-back INTs: “After those plays, you wouldn’t have known that he didn’t just throw a touchdown pass. That’s part of his charm.â€
Handling adversity is significant for Jones, especially considering he is a quarterback in New York. He will face a ton of criticism and negative comments that he will have to consume and ignore throughout his career.
2.) The utilizing of his legs
Even though Daniel Jones has 561 passing yards over two games, his most underrated attribute is his mobility. The rookie has 61 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground to accompany his passing stats. This is a critical statistic and factor for the Giants offense that allows them to open up the playbook and utilize different looks to confuse defenses.
On a 3rd-and-13 play on the Washington 41 in the third quarter, Daniel Jones scrambled up the middle for 16 yards breaking several tackles to reach the first down. This was a massive testament to his ability to pick up additional yards and make a difference with his legs.
https://twitter.com/NYGDaily/status/1178384650382794753
The Giants were currently leading 17-3 at the time giving Washington a glimpse of hope. That run allowed the Giants to waste a significant amount of time off the clock and help them alleviate any comeback concerns.
3.) Poise in the pocket
Across the field on Sunday, Dwayne Haskins Jr. entered the game in place of Case Keenum to see if he could provide the Washington offense with a spark. He finished the day throwing 107 yards, zero touchdowns, and three interceptions. He posted a 32.8 passer rating compared to Jones’Â 78 rating.
This comparison only shows how much development Jones has experienced in such a short amount of time. He’s the more capable player and has shown that on the field, winning both of his first two starts as an NFL player.
His poise and accuracy in the pocket are extremely impressive and will help the Giants moving forward, especially against two competitive opponents in the Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots. His ability to throw off-balance and escape the pocket to extend plays has given the Giants a considerable boost on third down and allowed them to increase their success percentage which was hovering around 21% when Eli Manning was the featured quarterback.