New York Giants: The one category that Daniel Jones dominates over Eli Manning

In no way shape or form is this a slight against New York Giants veteran quarterback Eli Manning. However, rookie passer Daniel Jones has dominated one category that has left the Giants stunned.

There is no question that the offense for a Big Blue has been far more productive since had Coach Pat Shurmur switch to Jones. Ultimately, measuring the quality of an offense comes down to several key categories—third-down conversions, red zone scoring rate, and time of possession.

Jones has been stellar in one specific category, one that Eli Manning struggled with severely while at the helm in recent years.

In the opener VS the Dallas Cowboys, the Giants were 2-for-11 on third down and 1-for-3 on fourth down. Against Buffalo in week two, they were 3-for-12 on third down and made one of two fourth-down attempts. The conversion rate boiled down to 21.74% on third down, which attests to the lack of quality the offense held.

Ever since Shurmur handed the ball to Jones, the Giants are 14-for-26 on third down, which is 53%, a 31% increase, and has converted both fourth-down attempts.

What has New York Giants rookie Daniel Jones done to improve this conversion rate?

The difference between scoring and punting comes down to conversions on essential plays. Third down is where quarterbacks make their money, and Jones adds a factor that has helped him so far— his legs. Last week against the Washington Redskins, Jones ran for 16 yards on third down to pick up a first down and secure three points. Those types of places are underrated and only show his confidence in moving the chains but also what he is willing to do to ensure his team is in an excellent position to win.

Increasing RPO’s has helped the Giants offense exponentially, allowing Shurmur to bait defenses and force opponents to allocate more players to stopping Jones from taking off running. Theoretically, this takes a man out of coverage and gives Jones more options in the passing game. I expect to see Shurmur open up his playbook even further and begin to play his style of football instead of amending his scheme to Eli Manning.