New York Giants: What does Daniel Jones need to be a successful quarterback in the NFL?

If you’ve watched the Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints operate offensively, you’ve seen what quality looks like in the NFL. The New York Giants are far and away from being capable of that type of success, but that doesn’t mean that they are void of the talent to do so.

Quarterback Daniel Jones might be a turnover machine at this point in his young career, but he’s also seen flashes of success. His reliable accuracy and ability to create on the move is one of the traits that makes him potential-ridden, but his supporting cast is merely awful and does more bad than good on any given game-day.

Here’s what Daniel Jones needs to be a successful quarterback with the New York Giants:

1.) Wide receivers who can create separation

One of the significant issues for the Giants on offense the past few seasons is there inability to create separation among the receivers. Through three weeks, Darius Slayton ranks in the bottom eight in the league in separation yards (1.9). Sterling Shepard is close behind, which necessarily doesn’t promote a good opportunity for Jones in the passing game.

Heading into the 2020 season, the defense was supposed to be the weakest link, but through three weeks, they have proven to be stronger and more robust. The offense has fallen off a cliff with new coordinator Jason Garrett. Basic zone-blocking and a lack of creativity have doomed them from the start. The one time they tried to get zesty, Daniel Jones tossed an errant pitch to Evan Engram, which should’ve been caught but ended up dropping to the turf for a turnover.

This is just a small sample of how the offense has looked through three weeks. They have yet to break 20 points, and they seemingly take steps backward on any given day.

It is disappointing that the New York Giants can’t look at some of the more successful teams in the league and try to mimic their style of play. Specifically, running back Saquon Barkley could be used so much more effectively.

Instead of running Barkley up the middle into a sea of defenders, utilizing it more in the passing game would be beneficial. For example, Alvin Kamara of the Saints recorded 13 receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns last Sunday, while Barkley averages maybe five receptions per game when healthy.
Signing a downhill running back and being more creative with Barkley is a necessity moving forward, but I am not convinced that Garrett is the right coordinator to get it done.

You’re probably asking yourself, how does this relate to Daniel Jones? Well, having a successful running game and elite receiving back helps him significantly. Not only does it force opposing defenses to commit to the run, but it also creates mismatches with running backs against linebackers. Check downs aren’t always a bad thing if you’re getting the ball to your most electric playmaker.

2.) A more creative offensive scheme

Through three weeks, it seems as if the Giants are playing a base offensive scheme that lacks detail and creativity. While this can be coughed up primarily to a lack of preseason reps and plenty of new faces for the Giants, it should look a little bit better than it does right now. The Giants were held to just nine points on Sunday against the 49ers and didn’t take a single snap in the red zone. Even utilizing a base offense, it shouldn’t be this bad.

Good teams find a way to win, or at least make things competitive. The Giants did nothing to help themselves, and while Jones did make a number of mistakes to put his team in a hole, they had opportunities to take shots downfield but simply didn’t. The one gorgeous back shoulder play that Daniel Jones did throw was off-script and on the go.

3.) Saquon Barkley used the “right” way

As stated above, Saquon Barkley hasn’t been utilized properly in quite some time. Comparing Barkley’s statistical output from his rookie season to 2019, his yards per attempt fell by .4. It dropped from 5.0 to 4.6, and while the sample size in 2020 was small, it landed at 1.8.

Saquon has always been a solid pass catcher with more potential in that category, but the Giants simply haven’t given him the reigns. Getting a complementary back to help keep him at 100% and rested could be a decent idea for the future. Similar to how the Saints utilize Latavius Murray, the Giants could get more creative in that way.

At a certain point, defenses know that Alvin Kamara is going to be the focal point when he’s on the field, but they still can’t stop him due to the scheming of their other players. Getting Barkley into space is something that needs to be done in the future.

4.) A true No. 1 receiver

The New York Giants can’t continue forward without a true play-maker of the wide receiver position. They haven’t given Darius Slayton the attention he deserves, but he also hasn’t been creating much separation to justify more action. Sterling Shepard is a walking injury, and Golden Tate is an aged commodity that will likely be gone after the 2020 season. Then you have Evan Engram, who has been a shell of his former self so far this season. An inability to catch the football and awful separation has contributed toward his lackluster campaign.

It is becoming quite clear that the Giants should’ve allocated a draft pick toward a wide receiver in an extremely deep class. It seems as if they’re waiting until 2021 to find another option, whether it be Allen Robinson in free agency or possibly Ja’Mar Chase in the draft.