In order for the NY Giants to have had a chance in beating the 49ers on Thursday night, we needed to see the same Daniel Jones that was balling out in the second half vs. Arizona. Instead, he didn't even come close to that.
In the disheartening 30-12 loss on Thursday Night Football, Jones went 22-of-32 for 137 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. That's simply not going to cut it against a team like the 49ers, who many think will go on to play in the Super Bowl this winter.
While speaking to the media, Jones look quite dejected shortly after the final whistle. Straight up, he knows he has to be better moving forward to help his squad try and beat elite squads like this:
Daniel Jones on how he played in the 30-12 loss to 49ers: “Not good enough. Not good enough.”
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) September 22, 2023
It wasn’t his best day. He thought there were some costly missed throws. Can’t do that against a tough defense like the Niners.
Jones also had just two rushes for five yards. Not…
Daniel Jones has been far too inconsistent for the NY Giants in 2023
Even Brian Daboll didn't seem overly pleased with the way Danny Dimes played, saying there were some plays he's sure Jones would want back. In his defense, the interception wasn't Jones' fault, as it looks like it hit Darren Waller right where it needed to be, but the ball bounced up and was picked.
Jones also tried to find Waller earlier in the game, but he threw it a bit too high for the big-bodied tight end to come down with. That's a play Jones needed to make, but Waller has to do a better job at finishing as well. Those two haven't been able to build the kind of chemistry through three games that people were hoping for.
Perhaps even more concerning for Giants fans was that Jones only rushed the ball twice, finishing with five yards on the ground. What makes him so dangerous are his dual-threat abilities. Both Nick Bosa and Fred Warner were shocked Jones didn't take off more.
Nick Bosa echoes Fred Warner's surprise at the Giants not using more zone read plays:
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) September 22, 2023
"We expected that, we didn't get that much. He was getting rid of it more than trying to extend plays like we watched the first couple games." pic.twitter.com/S00pRmkn4b
In three games, we've seen two exceptional quarters from Jones, but 10 rough ones. He knows his play isn't good enough right now, but he has to clean it up. He's on his $160 million contract for a reason: to play like one of the top quarterbacks in the NFC. So far, Jones is failing.