Daniel Jones will find himself being the poster boy of New York football very soon. The former rookie, now sophomore QB, has given NY Giants fans reason to look forward to the upcoming season, wowing us all with some exceptional games in 2019.
Will he carry the torch and exceed beyond our expectations now that Eli Manning has officially retired?
Daniel Jones, the 6’5” QB out of Duke University had some ups and downs in his rookie year, to be sure. But there were more positives than negatives to take from his games, at least when thinking about the future of the Giants with Eli Manning no longer in the picture.
There were games the former Duke Blue Devils’ star looked phenomenal, showing us bits of Patrick Mahomes style highlights, dazzling us with four or more touchdown passes with ease. On one of those occasions on Dec. 22nd against Washington – in front of a crowd of sixty-six thousand at FedEx Field – the rookie QB had thrown for five touchdowns along with 352 passing yards.
He finished the game with a QB rating of 132.1, which was arguably his best game in the league from his rookie season. The NY Giants would go on to win that game in overtime.
One thing for certain, the twenty-two-year-old Jones is no stranger to throwing four or more touchdowns. He’s done it a few times already in his rookie year, tying the NFL record for such games in a debut season.
It’s worth noting that the games that he has played exceptionally were away from MetLife Stadium, as he has not settled in well at home yet. According to Elias Sports Bureau, Jones threw for eighteen touchdowns and only three interceptions while playing on the road. In addition, he had a 104.7 QB rating, much higher than his 70.4 number at the Meadowlands.
Despite having some impressive numbers and throwing multiple touchdowns, there are some much-needed areas of improvement in his game, primarily securing the football. He has had big problems with turnovers, whether he’s throwing an interception, or simply losing the ball by getting hit in the pocket or scrambling on the run.
As a rookie, Daniel Jones fumbled far too much and led the league in fumbles lost. Disappointing to say, but he reminded us all the problems Tiki Barber faced during a period in his career. Jones has acknowledged the issue to the media and plans to fix the problem. You have to admire his eagerness to improve all aspects of his game without turning away from criticism, and Barber was able to correct the problem, instilling confidence that it can be done here again.
Jones, who is a Charlotte, North Carolina native has taken the necessary measures to get better. This off-season he and few of his teammates have already started working on their game. The New York Post reported earlier this month that he’s following the traditions of the Giants’ previous QB, Eli Manning, who had a terrific habit of working with his receivers on various drills in the off-season at different university campuses, including Duke University, where Jones attended.
‘Danny Dimes’ has practiced with fellow Giants teammates Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton at Duke’s training facility. The early off-season practice sessions will strengthen their route running, timing, various techniques, and ultimately a chemistry builder as we await the 2020 season.