As the NY Giants prepare for a road tilt in Cleveland against the Browns, all eyes turn toward quarterback Daniel Jones to right the ship. After an eventful offseason and promises that this squad would turn it around, an 0-3 start would understandably infuriate the NY faithful.
Quarterback play has plagued the Giants for quite some time, especially during a disastrous Week 1 loss to the Vikings. During that contest, Danny Dimes finished with 186 passing yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions, and threw an inexplicable pick-six inside his own 20 yard line.
While most of the hope fans held heading into the campaign is fading away, the stakes are still high for him this week. The sixth-year signal-caller is playing for his job and hasn’t given the front office any reason to believe he has improved his game. With the Browns' game on the way, here are our bold predictions for Danny Dimes in this one:
4. His rushing impact will be very limited
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett needs no introduction. He won Defensive Player of the Year last season and somehow has gotten better each year. His presence alone gives the Cleveland pass-rushing respect in the league, and Za’Darius Smith has eased the load for Garrett on the other end of the defensive line. Jones' most valuable asset is his mobility, but he won't be able to scramble around the pocket for long before being swallowed up behind the line of scrimmage. Aside from a few designed runs up the middle, Jones’ impact on the ground should be limited.
3. Daniel Jones will finish the game turnover-free
Ball security has always been an issue with Jones since he got to the league. Surprisingly, the Browns enter this Week 3 matchup as one of two NFL teams that have not forced a defensive turnover. That should bode well for the turnover-prone Giants team as long as they stick to a passive game plan. The game script might favor Jones starting to chuck some balls downfield if NY goes down big, but he should finish the game without an interception or lost fumble.
2. Sacked 5+ times
NY has its work cut out in the trenches trying to keep Cleveland's formidable front four out of the backfield. Unfortunately, very few teams have been able to do so against Garrett. The Browns have seven sacks on the year, tied for third in the NFL, so expect them to build on that number against a Giants offensive line that surrendered five in the season-opener.
1. Completion percentage above 65 percent
Danny Dimes has thrown for a 52.4 and 57.1 completion percentage across the season’s first two weeks, respectively. However, with Garrett expected to breathe down his neck every snap, head coach Brian Daboll could opt to play it safe offensively. Whether that translates to points on the board remains to be seen, but expect to see a plethora of dump-offs and check-downs to Malik Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinson for short-yardage gains.