The New York Giants limped into halftime of their Week 1 matchup against the Washington Commanders, trailing 14–3, with eyes already rolling in from up I-95. The Russell Wilson era hasn’t exactly opened with fireworks, and with Jaxson Dart watching from the sideline, there’s not much optimism to cling to. But the biggest punch to the gut didn’t come from the scoreboard in Landover... it came from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
While Big Blue’s offense sputtered, Daniel Jones was out there carving up Miami. In his Colts debut, the former Giants quarterback went 17-of-22 for 197 yards and two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing). It was the kind of clean, confident performance fans waited six years to see. And it was all too familiar.
Because Giants fans have lived this already. Saquon Barkley left, ran for 2,000 yards, won a Super Bowl, and casually stacked Offensive Player of the Year on top of it. Now Jones is picking up where Barkley left off, only this time, in a Colts uniform... after struggling for six seasons not remotely looking like an NFL-caliber starter.
Daniel Jones flips the script in first game away from Giants
As he racked up 20 first-half points with his new team, the groans all but echoed from East Rutherford. Giants fans have watched former top picks turn into All-Pros the second they change jerseys. First Barkley becomes a record-breaking, championship-carrying superstar in Philly. Now Jones remembers how to play quarterback.
Yes, the G-Men had to move on; absolutely no one’s arguing that. But watching guys they drafted and developed finally figure it out somewhere else objectively stinks. It's so annoying. If this is the version of the Daniel Jones experience the Colts get for the rest of the year, Big Blue Nation better prepare themselves for the longest season in NFL history. If you thought last year was bad...
While Jones was lighting up Miami, the Giants offense couldn’t get anything going against Washington. Russell Wilson looked shaky, the line was terrible, and the scoreboard told the same old story. This is becoming worst-case scenario super quickly. Classic.