Daniel Jones

New York Giants head into Tampa Bay game as 10.5 point underdogs

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

The New York Giants exit their bye week with a Monday Night Football matchup against the Bucs, and predictably, Tampa has the advantage in the odds. The advantage for Tampa Bay has been set at -10.5 points (-110) and the over/under at 49.5 according to BetMGM.

It’s not surprising, of course. While the Giants are coming off a win and the Buccaneers are coming off a pair of back to back losses, Tampa is still one of the most talented teams in the league and one of the toughest names on the schedule for the Giants. And those back to back losses might make things harder on the Giants – they have to deal with a motivated Tom Brady, after all.

But there’s also reason to believe the Giants won’t settle for a blowout here, and that they might even beat the spread or more. That reason is desperation; after wins by rivals in the division, the Giants very much need to keep up their own good form if they want to avoid another season of being out of the hunt early on.

Tampa Bay suffering from injuries

One factor that might make this game closer than some expect is injuries.

Specifically, injuries in the secondary for Tampa Bay might hurt their performance against the Giants passing attack. Cornerback Carlton Davis III has been on the IR since suffering a quad injury in week 4, and CB Richard Sherman is also out following a pre-game injury on Sunday.

Sherman hasn’t been a regular player for the Bucs this season, so the Bucs may not see a big drop in play from his absence in this game. But Sherman’s injury still prevents Tampa from addressing a need at the position, which is why Sherman was signed this season.

And, fortunately for Giants defenders, the Bucs may not have Rob Gronkowski at tight end for this one. Gronkowski was at practice on Wednesday, but was absent the previous week and has been dealing with a rib injury over a number of weeks.

Injuries on the New York Giants side

The Giants do have their own injuries to deal with. However, things are trending in the right direction for some of their important playmakers.

The team has designated left tackle Andrew Thomas to return from IR, which is a big step for the offensive line. Thomas has become a key part of that line this season and his presence on the field would go a long way in making Daniel Jones more comfortable in the passing game. But right now, it’s not clear when Thomas will actually return to the field.

More likely is the return of Saquon Barkley, who has taken part in drills this week and seems to have a more optimistic timeline towards coming back.

Will the Giants beat the spread?

Let’s be completely honest here: the Giants are overmatched against the defending Super Bowl champs. Having to take on a motivated Tom Brady is also not a good spot to be in. And it doesn’t help that Daniel Jones is winless in primetime games.

However, the Giants have reasons of their own to be strongly motivated for this one. They’re also 5-4 against the spread this season. Generally, even when they haven’t won, the Giants have found a way to stay in the game and have exceeded Vegas’ expectations more often than not. The Bucs, on the other hand, are 3-6 against the spread.

It’s hard to project the Giants winning this one outright, based on the overall circumstances as well as Daniel Jones’ performance against Tampa last year. He had two touchdowns offset by two interceptions, and had his fifth worse quarterback rating of the season.

But Tampa isn’t quite as dominant right now as they were last year, and the Giants definitely have a chance to play up to the competition and stay in this one towards the end.

Prediction: Tampa Bay 28-24 New York, Bucs win outright but Giants cover the 10.5 point spread

3 reasons the Giants will likely stick with Daniel Jones for one more season

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daniel jones, giants

Ever since the New York Giants drafted quarterback Daniel Jones out of Duke, they have failed to build a proper offense around him. The offensive line has been abysmal since his inception in the NFL, and that reality hasn’t changed during the 2021 season.

Currently, the Giants feature the 30th ranked pass-blocking unit, per PFF. It gets worse — they also feature the 25th overall run-blocking unit, which is an essential factor in establishing a strong passing game.

Through eight weeks of the regular season, the Giants have experienced injuries beyond their wildest dreams, with the majority of playmakers sitting out for a variety of reasons. Saquan Barkley suffered a low ankle sprain against Dallas, Kenny Golladay a hyperextended knee, Kadarius Toney has been fighting his way through ankle troubles, and Sterling Shepard is battling Hamstring and quad injuries.

Aside from Jones’s playmakers, starting left tackle Andrew Thomas suffered an ankle injury against the Rams, and ever since then, the OL has been appalling.

However, it is likely the Giants move on from general manager Dave Gettleman at the end of the season, and part of the contingency is that Daniel Jones will likely stick around for another season as they continue to evaluate his qualities. The question is, what GM will be willing to take over knowing they simply don’t have the control necessary to build a quality team?

Jones has experienced growth in some categories, including pocket presence and completion percentage, but he still struggles with staring down receivers and making poor decisions at times. Having minimal time in the pocket undoubtedly contributes to his inability to read coverages and making boneheaded mistakes.

Three reasons Daniel Jones will stick around with the Giants next season:

1.) The offensive line has been horrendous

As stated before, the offensive line ranks among the worst in the NFL, and it has been that way for the past three seasons. Jones was sacked 45 times last year in 14 games and is on pace to go down 40+ times this year over a 17 game season.

Simply watch the clip below of starting right tackle Nate Solder getting lifted off the ground by one arm and put on his backside at the end of the Giants’ most recent loss to Kansas City. When you have tackles playing at an incompetent level, it significantly impacts the play of the quarterback.

Many have continued to blame Daniel Jones for the Giants’ struggles on offense, but having experienced little pass-protection since entering the NFL, he has been unable to take the necessary leaps in development. Take a look at one of the more significant hits he took in Week 8, as the protection scheme failed almost instantly.

The Giants simply can’t evaluate Jones properly unless he has proper time in the pocket to throw the football. As he experienced against the New Orleans Saints, when he has time to allow routes to develop, he is an incredibly accurate passer with solid qualities.

2.) Failure to properly evaluate Daniel Jones

A new general manager may decide to draft his own quarterback, but the Giants are better off sticking with Jones for one more season on his rookie deal and investing their two first-round selections on offensive linemen or a mixture of OL and edge rusher.

I have little doubt the Giants can win with Jones at quarterback, but they first need to solve their problems in the trenches, where everything begins and ends.

3.) Injuries and play-calling

Big Blue has experienced unfortunate luck with injuries this season, as Jones has been forced to utilize receivers like Collin Johnson and Dante Pettis, two practice squad players/reserve options. With names like Golladay and Barkley consistently missing games, Jones has barely had any time to develop chemistry with the players on the field, making success even more improbable.

Management will likely see that as an excuse, rightfully so. However, it shouldn’t justify retaining Gettleman, who started his fourth consecutive season as a general manager of the Giants with a losing record. It is time they move on to someone with a modernized approach who feels they can allocate their draft capital toward solving several important positions.

New York Giants: Daniel Jones benefits from new rules, says Tom Brady

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has picked up a reputation as a rushing QB that even Tom Brady has noticed.

The topic came up when Brady was discussing the current league rules on his SiriusXM podcast, “Let’s Go!” He compared the new generation of QBs to his own, and pointed out how much easier it is to run the ball as a quarterback these days.

“I think so many quarterbacks, they run through the middle of the defense, and they just probably know that, in essence, they’re not going to get hurt,” Brady said.

As a player from a different time, the trend is ‘crazy’ to Brady. That’s a pretty reasonable take, of course. Back when Brady came into the league, running into the middle of the defense as a QB was a recipe to get rocked by whatever linebacker or safety was in the area.

These days, the NFL is more careful about protecting their star offensive talents and it shows. It’s not just hyper-mobile QBs like Lamar Jackson that run the ball, but even others who aren’t the same kind of athlete; Daniel Jones included.

“I see Carson Wentz do it all the time. I see Daniel Jones do it all the time. And I’m in my mind, I’m thinking it’s crazy. The defensive players are running, and they all jump out of the way of the quarterback,” Brady continued.

Daniel Jones and rushing the ball

The Giants are still trying to find the right balance when it comes to Daniel Jones and his running ability.

Obviously, like Brady said, things are easier on rushing quarterbacks these days. A player like Jones might have been forced to play more as a pocket passer 15 years ago, but the current landscape of the NFL very much suits Jones’ abilities.

That’s also one of the reasons the Giants drafted Jones. One of the pre-draft narratives was that Eli Manning was too immobile, and that the Giants needed a QB who could escape when the offensive line didn’t provide enough time.

On the other hand, rushing still has its risks and has to be done the right way.

Giants fans found that out the hard way when Daniel Jones went for a touchdown against Dallas while leading with his helmet, and ended up with a concussion.

It’s clear that Jones is a competitor, willing to take risks to win games. It’s also clear the Giants can’t afford injuries to one of the centerpieces of their offense.

Jones will keep rushing this season, of course. He’s over the concussion, and the team needs his skills in this area. But we can be sure the coaching staff will continue tweaking their game plans in this area, looking for the right balance between competing and keeping Jones safe.

New York Giants: Daniel Jones explains crazy trick play reception

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daniel jones, new york giants

The New York Giants came up with a better performance on both sides of the ball in week 7, and one play in specific sums up their improvement on offense. That play is the trick play where wide receiver Dante Pettis tossed the ball to Daniel Jones for a first down on a scoring drive.

The play is an example of the coaching staff coming up with more creative approaches to the offense compared to earlier in the season, when there were many complaints about the “three downs for 10 yards” style of playcalling.

After the game, Daniel Jones himself was naturally asked a few questions about his first career reception.

Daniel Jones speaks about his first reception

“Yeah, it was a pretty unathletic route getting out there, so he put it out there for me and I just tried to pull it in. Good play, good design, something we’d worked on all week. Good throw by Dante,” Jones said in the postgame press conference.

From what Jones said, it seems like the Giants had this play in the works during the week leading up to the game.

“I think that’s the biggest thing is going through the same process you did all week through the play, recognizing the look we’re getting and trying to execute it like we practiced. Just trying to do that.”

The Giants had 302 total yards of offense against the Panthers.

While that isn’t the biggest increase on paper from their 261 against Los Angeles, the players obviously did a much better job this week converting at the right moments and turning the yardage into points.

The Giants face an interesting matchup next week when they take on the struggling Chiefs on the road, but if week 7 and this trick play are anything to go by, they’ll at least have a fully healthy Daniel Jones for that game.

New York Giants: Kadarius Toney speaks on Jalen Ramsey matchup, Daniel Jones relationship

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kadarius toney, giants

During the week 6 game between the New York Giants and the Los Angeles Rams, a lot of eyes will be on Kadarius Toney and Jalen Ramsey.

Toney, after all, is coming off a breakout performance where he led the Giants offense in yardage and showed some truly impressive mobility. Ramsey, on the other hand, has long been a premier corner and will have the task of shutting down whatever receiver he’s assigned to cover.

There’s practically a made-for-TV matchup there, if Ramsey does end up covering Toney rather than Sterling Shepard or Darius Slayton.

It’s also a matchup that Toney was asked about during Friday’s media availability. The Giants rookie, however, wasn’t making a big deal about it.

“It’s football, everybody has their on-plays and off-plays,” Toney said when asked if Ramsey can cover him. “It’s equal when you step on the field.”

Ramsey is a player that has a tendency to get under the skin of the opposing team’s wide receivers. But Toney isn’t too worried about that happening.

“If that’s what he wants to do, then that’s just what he’s going to do. If he’s going to try – I mean, you can always attempt, but you can’t always get the result that you want out of it.”

He called his ejection in last week’s game part of a learning process, and said to not expect anything like it again. From the looks of things, Toney plans on taking a quiet approach to dealing with the opposing team.

“I’m a silent assassin. I don’t talk to nobody on the field,” he assured.

Kadarius Toney showing chemistry with Daniel Jones already

It’s important for a wide receiver to have good chemistry with the quarterback. After an offseason where Toney had multiple absences, some wondered if Toney would be able to build that chemistry from Jones.

But from the looks of things, the first few weeks of the season have been enough to establish a bond. When asked about rushing to Jones after his concussion, Toney had some positive things to say about his relationship with his quarterback.

“That’s my brother. That’s my dog. At the end of the day, if he’s hurt, I’m hurt. That really kind of made me go harder, just knowing that he wasn’t able to do what he’ll normally do, like contribute as much as he can, just put another chip on my shoulder.”

There’s a fair chance for Jones and Toney to build more chemistry in week 6. Saquon Barkley and Kenny Golladay have been ruled out for tomorrow’s game, and even if Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton make a return, both players may be rusty after missing two weeks of action.

That assumes, of course, that Jones plays. While Jones has cleared the concussion protocol, whether or not he should start remains a controversial subject.

Barring a setback, there’s no more roadblocks to Jones returning to the field. But the decision is in the hands of the coaching staff. It’s still unknown to the public just how cautious the coaching staff intends to be with Jones’ return.

With that being said, the performance against Dallas shows us that Toney can still play dangerously even if Mike Glennon is at quarterback.

And given the controversy around bringing Jones back the week following his concussion, we may just end up seeing Glennon making passes to Toney instead on Sunday if Joe Judge makes the more cautious choice and rests Jones.

New York Giants: Insider names Daniel Jones likely starter for week 6

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

The New York Giants are faced with a dilemma in week 6. With Daniel Jones sustaining a concussion in the team’s week 5 loss in Dallas, some of the discourse leading up to week 6 has turned to the subject of whether or not Jones should start.

That is to say, not everyone agrees with starting Jones even if the doctors clear him to play.

The doctors, in this case, are the ones who hold the final decision on whether the Giants can field Jones. For a player to leave the concussion protocol, the NFL requires an independent neurologist to clear them. The Giants haven’t yet said if Jones is starting, and that’s because the matter isn’t in the hands of the coaching staff.

However, a report from NorthJersey.com claims that Jones is more likely to start than sit.

“It’s likely Daniel will be the starter,” an individual with knowledge of the situation told NorthJersey.com and USA TODAY Network. The individual was granted anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation… “There are still hurdles to be cleared, but that’s where everyone hopes it’s headed.”

The arguments around playing Jones in week 6

Some want to see Jones sit this game out after his concussion in week 5. That sentiment is backed up by experiences from previous seasons where the Giants brought back an injured Saquon Barkley as well as Jones himself too soon, only for both players to flop in their respective returns.

With that being said, this situation isn’t exactly like either of those. When it comes to concussions, the process of bringing a player back involves more than just the team’s trainers. It’s unlikely that the league’s doctors will approve Jones to play if symptoms are still present.

At the end of the day, it’s hard to imagine the coaching staff choosing to sit Jones if the independent doctor gives him the go-ahead.

While the Giants are 1-4 and being counted out by many at this point in the season, the coaches and players certainly aren’t thinking of things that way.

The Giants need all the wins they can get as they enter this tough stretch of the schedule, and getting an upset win against the Rams on Sunday would take off some of the pressure going into a November that features road games in Kansas City and Tampa Bay.

If Jones is cleared, expect the coaches to play him rather than assuming the season is already over and taking the minimal risk option instead.

New York Giants: Jason Garrett says “there is a balance” to Daniel Jones runs

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

The New York Giants are getting used to utilizing Daniel Jones’ running ability more often, but that has come with both positives and negatives.

On one hand, running has been a useful skill for Jones during a season where both the pass protection and the traditional run game have often been lacking.

On the other hand, these runs come with an inherent risk and the Giants witnessed that firsthand when Jones received a concussion in their week 5 loss to the Cowboys.

The situation brings up a new question. Just how much will the Giants shy away from such runs in the future to avoid a similar result?

According to offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, there’s a balance that the coaching staff have to find.

“I think there is a balance there. I think we’d be foolish if we didn’t use his ability as a runner. It’s been such an asset for us, both him making plays spontaneously by moving in the pocket, but also some design stuff,” Garrett told reporters on Thursday.

Despite praising the utility of Jones’ ground game, Garrett also acknowledged the dangers.

“But at the same time, you have to be certainly aware of that. You don’t want to overdo that and put him in harm’s way. I think we’re understanding more and more, he’s understanding more and more the balance between those.”

It’s easy to imagine that the matter will be on the minds of the Giants coaches headed into the next game.

Right now, it’s looking like Jones will play – but his status is unclear, and the concussion scare is a warning about what could come of the Giants being too reckless in their strategy here.

With that being said, don’t expect them to approach week 6 too conservatively. The Giants are on the ropes at this point in the season and a loss will have them written off by many as a lost cause until next Draft.

If Jones is able to play, expect him to continue going 100%. His job may depend on it, and the jobs of the coaching staff may depend on turning the recent poor momentum around just as much.

New York Giants: Kadarius Toney will be the X-factor in Week Five

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kadarius toney, new york giants

The New York Giants‘ offense had a breakout game last Sunday. The Giants earned their first win of the season and improved their record to 1-3. New York’s offense willed them to a thrilling 27-21 overtime victory over the New Orleans Saints. Daniel Jones, Kenny Golladay, and Kadarius Toney developed a chemistry that took the team’s offensive attack to a new level.

For the first three weeks of the season, Jason Garrett and the Giants were criticized for misusing their 2021 first-round pick, Kadarius Toney. The UF wide receiver was not making an impact in the Giants’ first few games. But in Week Four, Toney had a breakout performance that the Giants will want to build on. To beat the Dallas Cowboys in Week Five, the Giants will need to have an explosive offensive performance that sees Kadarius Toney make a real impact.

Kadarius Toney the X-Factor

As good as the Dallas Cowboys offense has been this season, their defense has been equally as bad in some regards.  For example, the Dallas Cowboys’ defense has given up an insane amount of yardage after the catch. The Cowboys give up 190 yards after the catch per game (most in the league).

This is where Kadarius Toney comes into play. Toney is a YAC machine. In college, Kadarius had a 35% missed tackle rate, constantly breaking tackles and creating plays with the ball in his hands. We have seen him produce similarly in the NFL, too.

Kadarius Toney is averaging 7.7 yards after catch per reception this season. 77 of his 92 receiving yards have come after the catch. Toney has forced 6 missed tackles this season on only 11 touches.

The New York Giants are not winning this game on the back of their defense. The Dallas Cowboys’ offense is simply too good. The way that the Giants win on Sunday is by beating a good offense with a good offense. It should be a shootout down in Dallas. The Giants have not scored over 30 points in a long time and that needs to change on Sunday.

New York Giants: Daniel Jones has seemingly turned the corner

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daniel jones, new york giants

The New York Giants are 1-3 coming off of their first win in Week Four. Last year, the season also started slow and much of the blame fell on the shoulders of quarterback Daniel Jones. This year, however, the tune has changed regarding New York’s starting signal-caller.

Now, fans and analysts alike are acknowledging Daniel Jones’s talent. Through the first four weeks of the 2021 season, Daniel Jones is an exponentially better quarterback than he was through the first four weeks of the 2020 season. It is early, but after this strong start to the season, Daniel Jones has fans believing that he has turned the corner.

2020 Daniel Jones vs 2021 Daniel Jones

The New York Giants finished the 2020 season 6-10 after an 0-5 start. The vibes surrounding the team were much different than they are through the first four weeks of this season. The Giants did not have to wait as long to get their first win of the year as they came away with their first victory in Week Four this season. Daniel Jones had a career game that saw him win NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

In Week Four, Daniel Jones threw for 402 yards and 2 touchdowns as the Giants topped the New Orleans Saints on the road with a thrilling 27-21 overtime victory. After this game, Giants fans seem sold. They all seem to believe that Daniel Jones is a franchise quarterback. Through four weeks of the regular season, he sure is playing like one.

Daniel Jones 2020 Stats (Weeks 1-4)

  • Yards Per Attempt: 6.0
  • TD-Int: 2-5
  • Total QBR: 45
  • Turnovers: 7

Daniel Jones 2021 Stats (Weeks 1-4)

  • Yards Per Attempt: 8.2
  • TD-Int: 4-1
  • Total QBR: 60
  • Turnovers: 2

Daniel Jones has improved in every major statistical category since last season. He is throwing the ball accurately downfield, creating big plays, and keeping the ball clean. Jones’s turnover total is down tremendously. Throughout the first two years of his career, the biggest criticism of Daniel Jones has always been his turnover issue. It seems like Daniel Jones has gotten that issue under control now.

The Giants have not come away with many wins, but they have been hanging in every game this season. Thanks to Daniel Jones, the New York Giants are competitive. If Daniel Jones continues to play at this high level, the Giants will win more games, and he truly will establish himself as a franchise quarterback.

New York Giants: Jason Garrett identifies major area of improvement for Daniel Jones

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

Winning isn’t the only task for the New York Giants this season. This year also serves as an evaluation for quarterback Daniel Jones at the individual level. After two previous seasons of Jones at QB, and with a new General Manager potentially coming in this offseason, this seems like the year the Giants will make a decision about the player.

So far, Jones has offered mixed results but displayed improvement against Washington and New Orleans, against whom he delivered his best games of the season. His play so far was enough to draw several praises from offensive coordinator Jason Garrett when Garrett was asked where Jones had seen the most progress.

“You have to take care of the ball and I think he’s done that. Starting from about midseason last year, he’s done a great job taking care of the ball. He has made really good decisions, he’s played decisively,” Garrett said on Thursday about Jones.

Jones only has one fumble lost since the season opener, where he lost the ball against Denver. While he does have one interception this season, it only came on a Hail Mary before halftime in week 4.

While Jones hasn’t been perfect, and the unlucky interception could be considered karma for luckier moments earlier in the season, he has yet to throw a legitimate interception this season.

“When things aren’t there, he’s made good decisions to get rid of the ball. Two or three times in the game the other day, maybe a rusher came free, or something didn’t come up exactly like we wanted to, he used his feet, he threw the ball away, we went to the next down,” Garrett continued.

A better environment for Jones

What has caused the improvement in play from Daniel Jones? One thing that Garrett mentioned is a better environment around him compared to last season.

“As the environment gets better around him as we protect better and we get some guys outside who can make some plays for him, he’s going to continue to play better. That’s been my experience with quarterback play.”

In the case of Jones, the improvement in his environment has come in the form of new receivers and better offensive line play. The upgrade was perhaps most visible against New Orleans, when the Giants utilized Kadarius Toney more in their gameplan. Furthermore, a healthier Kenny Golladay was able to make more of an impact in the receiving game.

For the offense, a current challenge is continuing to provide the support that Jones needs. Headed into week 5, wide receivers Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton are dealing with hamstring injuries and could miss another game. The team saw a step up from John Ross in their absence, but it’s unclear whether the trend will continue.

But whether the Giants enter the game injured at receiver or not, it’s clear that Jones will shoulder much of the responsibility for Sunday’s result when the team takes on a division nemesis.