After the first week of the 2024 NFL season, plenty of people were calling for Daniel Jones to hit the bench - we were among those wishing for Drew Lock to take over as signal-caller for the NY Giants. Fast forward a month and things have totally flipped. Not only is Jones still QB1, but he's been playing at a tremendous level.
Such was the case in the 29-20 win over the Seahawks. Jones finished throwing for 257 yards and two touchdowns. This came without first-round pick and superstar wideout Malik Nabers off the field, as he missed the battle in Seattle due to a concussion.
Following the Week 1 disaster against Minnesota, Jones has looked like a totally different player. Against Washington, Cleveland, Dallas and Seattle, the veteran QB has combined to toss for 952 yards and six touchdowns. He only has one interception to his name, but that came on a desperation play late against the Cowboys. Jones has been sharp and the rest of the country is taking notice:
Daniel Jones in his last 4 games:
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) October 7, 2024
▪️ 92/136 passing
▪️ 67.65% completion percentage
▪️ 952 passing yards
▪️ 6 TDs
▪️ 1 INT
▪️ 99.3 passer rating
It's great to see him having success and keeping his head up. Brian Daboll is coaching his a** off, and Sunday's win in Seattle… pic.twitter.com/R81mdx6h2R
Daniel Jones has been fantastic for the NY Giants over the past month
The only negative surrounding Jones right now is that the G-Men are 2-3. However, as we've said multiple times, this team is only a few plays away from actually being 4-1. At minimum the G-Men should have beaten Washington - if only they had a backup kicker on the roster for Graham Gano.
Regardless, the offense is moving in the right direction and Brian Daboll's play-calling has been on point. It helps that Jones is playing so well and that the offensive line is making everyone forget about the disastrous showing from the guys up front in 2023.
Come Week 6, Jones is going to have a great opportunity to showcase just how good he can be with the ball in his hands. The G-Men are going to be in primetime for Sunday Night Football, taking on Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Burrow and Jones going at it for SNF? Burrow is coming off a five-touchdown game in the loss to the Ravens. The former No. 1 pick is a stud, but the Giants defense will look to give him fits all night at MetLife Stadium. Will Jones be able to outperform him with the rest of the world watching? If Jones keeps playing the way he has since Week 2, he'll have a solid shot at doing so.
Last fall, things were a trainwreck for Jones, throwing for only two touchdowns and six interceptions before tearing his ACL against the Raiders. Now, though, he's looking like the kind of QB Joe Schoen gave a monster extension to. Danny Dimes needs to keep playing this way and be consistent. If he does, there's no reason he can't be in the running for Comeback Player of the Year, especially if the Giants find a way to sneak into the postseason.