There’s not many things to celebrate from the New York Giants’ recent loss to the Cowboys, but there is one thing that might generate interest for the last few games of the season. That’s the starting quarterback situation, and the latest development. After Mike Glennon received the start in place of Daniel Jones and threw for 3 interceptions, the Giants gave a chance to the next man up Jake Fromm, who would make his NFL debut.
What does Jake Fromm’s debut mean for the Giants?
Fromm wasn’t able to carry the offense to a touchdown, but his performance does give reason to believe there will be a quarterback competition headed into the next game. This, of course, isn’t that relevant in the long run. The Giants don’t have many games left, and are already out of the division race. But finding out whether Fromm is a capable backup is a worthwhile task. After all, Daniel Jones has missed games with injuries in each of his NFL seasons. This year has been a hard lesson for the Giants that they need to be prepared for those situations.
Completing half of his 12 total attempts, Fromm threw for 82 yards and had a passer rating of 72.2 compared to 24.8 for Glennon. It’s a commendable performance, when considering how Glennon received more snaps and yet Fromm had the better game and would have thrown for more yards too if he had a similar amount of passing attempts.
Joe Judge said it reached the "point in the game I wanted to see what Jake [Fromm] would do." Now it opens up a conversation about starting next week.
It’s a bit early to say that Fromm should be the starter next week for sure. Fromm’s entry into this game was a surprise, and quarterbacks often have more success before defenses get a chance to prepare for them and go over their film.
But after a series of hopeless performances from Glennon, Fromm has definitely landed in a spot of contention to start for the rest of the year. No one wants to see more of the same from Glennon, and if Fromm can be the more competitive player in practice, the chances appear pretty high that the starting job will fall into his hands.
The New York Giants could be forced to depend on their third-string quarterback moving forward. What’s more, the third-string QB could be given his instructions by a second-string offensive coordinator and second-string position coach.
This could be the conundrum stemming from Daniel Jones’ neck injury that, according to reports, is likely to rule him out of Sunday’s contest against the Los Angeles Chargers. Should he remain sidelined, Jones would have missed a second straight game. The 24-year-old was seen by doctors on Monday and will not be cleared for contact until he is fully healed.
“Daniel Jones will likely be out multiple weeks while dealing with a neck injury, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported,” NFl.com reports. “The fourth-year starter went down during last week’s win over the Eagles and was limited in practice before being ruled out for Week 13. He’ll undergo further testing Monday, with Rapoport noting there might be more than ligament issues ailing Jones. He’s now considered week to week.”
Jake Fromm is now battling with Mike Glennon for reps after the backup entered the NFL’s concussions protocols after the loss to Miami. Quarterback Jerry Schuplinski has also tested positive for COVID-19.
Glennon is projected to clear protocols in time, but Fromm is deserving a chance, despite his short tenure with the Giants. This would be a huge opportunity for a player who was on the practice squad at Buffalo as recently as November 30.
The QB coach’s COVID-19 quandary won’t only affect him as all of the Giants quarterbacks – including the practice squad’s Brian Lewerke – could be deemed vaccinated close contacts who will have to undergo more frequent testing. Fromm spent 10 days on the COVID-19 list with the Bills in November after he tested positive as an asymptomatic carrier.
“The plan right now is for Jake to continue in his role,” head coach Joe Judge noted. “We have a lot of contingencies, whether it’s the COVID contingency or the uncertainty in terms of the other quarterbacks. We’re talking internally about a lot of options right now personnel-wise, scheme-it-up, to see what we can do to address it and make sure we’re building in-depth for a multitude of reasons.”
All of this comes in the wake of an unexpected offensive setback as Freddie Kitchens has been calling plays. While things have gotten more technical, scoring has dipped from the 18.9 points per game under coordinator Jason Garrett, now fired, to 11.0 points a game under Kitchens. The Giants also haven’t gained more than 264 yards on offense in their last four games.
It’s unclear when the quarterback issue could be remedied as concussion recovery timelines differ from player to player. Jones was cleared just five days after entering the protocol and didn’t miss a single start while Glennon took every snap against the Miami Dolphins.
“At some point after the game, they came to me and just let me know they were looking at him,” Judge added, “so during the game there was nothing I was informed of.”
The New York Sports betting does not tip the Giants for success in their upcoming game, with bookmakers attaching them to 4/1 while the Chargers are 4/21.
Fromm, meanwhile, isn’t an unfamiliar player. Drafted in the fifth round by the Bills, he started for Georgia for three years and led them to the 2018 College Football Playoff national championship game, getting picked ahead of Indianapolis Colts backup Jacob Eason and Chicago Bears rookie starter Justin Fields before they switched schools.
Sunday was his first regular-season game in an NFL uniform, however.
“He’s drinking through a fire hose right now,” Schuplinski said of his progress last week.
The QB coach and offensive quality control coach Nick Williams spent extra time on the field with Fromm last week. Williams and Kitchens will have to do so this week given that Schuplinski can only participate virtually.
“When you go from Daniel to Mike, you want to push and stay as close to the offense as you possibly can, and you expect them to go out there and execute the game plan,” Judge explained. “For a guy who’s only been here in your system for a couple days, you’ve got to select more of a menu of what he can operate in and that’s not always limiting based on his ability, it’s just based on being new in a scheme.”
Despite a lackluster performance in his last appearance, it looks like Mike Glennon is the starter for the New York Giants on Sunday. That is, if Glennon is out of concussion protocol. Glennon being ready by the time of the game isn’t certain, but according to Jordan Raanan, the Giants are optimistic about the chances and are planning on Glennon as the starter.
Giants are “optimistic” that Mike Glennon will be cleared and ready to play vs. Chargers, per Joe Judge. He will start if cleared from concussion protocol.
But playing Glennon in another game will obviously come with some pushback after Glennon led the offense to only 9 points against the Dolphins. He had 187 yards and 1 interception in that game, and was one of the main contributing factors behind the overall slow performance.
Of course, Glennon wasn’t the only factor and he’s only in the starting conversation right now because Daniel Jones is unavailable and the Giants don’t have a better option to turn towards. Much of the popular sentiment is leaning towards starting Jake Fromm, but that’s far from an ideal solution.
Even if Glennon presents a drop-off in performance from Jones, we at least know that he’s capable of running the offense without the wheels falling off. The Giants can’t exactly say the same about Fromm, who was only picked up recently from the Buffalo practice squad.
Not only has Fromm had limited experience in the Giants offense, he also has no NFL starts in general and isn’t coming off a role where he was a main backup. The next man up often looks more appealing and this is one of those situations, but really, it looks like the Giants are just making the decision that gives them the higher floor.
The New York Giants lost miserably on Sunday versus the Miami Dolphins. The Giants’ offense failed to score a touchdown in the 20-6 Week 13 loss. New York marched into Miami with Mike Glennon as the starting quarterback. Daniel Jones was out with a neck strain that is expected to keep him out of the Giants’ upcoming Week 14 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers, too.
To make matters worse, Mike Glennon suffered a concussion in the Giants’ loss to the Dolphins. Injuries and inexperience are now piling up for the Giants at the sport’s most valuable position, leaving their quarterback room in shambles.
The New York Giants quarterback room is in shambles
Daniel Jones and Mike Glennon being injured leaves the Giants with extremely limited options at the quarterback position. The 4-8 Giants are down to backups, practice squad players, and newly-signed players in line to start. Even the Giants’ quarterback coach, Jerry Schuplinski, is dealing with an ailment (COVID-19). This group of signal-callers is in disarray. Here’s a breakdown of the quarterback room:
Daniel Jones (neck strain, not cleared for contact)
Mike Glennon (in concussion protocol)
Jake Fromm (just signed last week)
Brian Lewerke (practice squad)
QB coach Jerry Schuplinski (COVID-19 positive)
With Daniel Jones and Mike Glennon both expected to be out on Sunday, Jake Fromm is in line to start for the Giants. The Giants just signed Fromm off of the Buffalo Bills practice squad a few days ago. But now the young quarterback has gone from the practice squad to being expected to start in a rapid amount of time.
If Fromm is not ready to go, which would not be surprising considering how long it takes to learn NFL playbooks, then Brian Lewerke would be the next man up. Lewerke has spent the season on New York’s practice squad after playing in the preseason for the Giants and looking less than promising.
If indeed Jones and Glennon are out, the most experienced regular season passer on the Giants’ roster would be Kadarius Toney. New York’s first-round pick has thrown three passes this season, giving him the highest career total of the remaining quarterbacks on the roster.
When the most experienced passer on a team is the wide receiver, you know that roster is in bad shape. The Giants will prepare this week with the thought that Jake Fromm takes the start under center. But regardless of who starts on Sunday, it is a longshot that the Giants’ offense takes any steps forward from where they have been,.
The Buffalo Bills finally have an answer in their franchise quarterback role, but adjustments may be coming to their backup situation.
The Position: Quarterback On the Roster: Josh Allen, Jake Fromm Free Agents: Matt Barkley Reserve/Future: Davis Webb
It took 24 years, 18 AFC East titles for the New England Patriots, and countless false prophets…but the Buffalo Bills have finally found the answer to Jim Kelly.
Any doubts about Josh Allen’s NFL future were more or less eliminated with a historic season that likely occupies its own chapter in the Buffalo record books. Allen’s 2020 evolution turned the Bills into bona fide championship contenders, ones that fell just a game short of the Super Bowl. It’s safe to say that the Bills envision Allen riding out the decade with a streaking buffalo on his helmet…and maybe partake in a little of the next one as well. In fact, it may not be too early to start thinking about an extension to ensure he stays in blue and red.
But if any franchise knows that NFL prosperity can be yanked away in the blink of an eye…it’s the Buffalo Bills.
No one in their right football mind is going to deny that Allen has a role to play in the future of not only Western New York but the national gridiron scene as a whole. But the Bills must think about the names behind Allen, just in case the medically unthinkable happens. Allen has started the last 42 Bills games under center, but he did miss four games during his rookie year (2018) with an elbow injury. During that time, Buffalo worked with the backup hydra of Nathan Peterman, Derek Anderson, and Matt Barkley, the latter securing the long-term backup job by earning the lone win in that bunch.
Obviously, Allen is the toast of The Queen City until further notice. But no one in the NFL has ever prepared for an injury, especially one of the season-ending variety that can sink Super Bowl runs entirely. Barkley has proven somewhat reliable when called upon (his 2020-21 ledger consisted of Week 17 mop-up duty in a blowout win over Miami), but the Bills might have plans for rookie Jake Fromm to assume the role. Chosen in the fifth round of last year’s draft, Fromm’s rookie season was an unusual situation where he was kept in relative isolation in case COVID-19-related protocols rendered Allen, Barkley, and practice squad arm Davis Webb inactive.
It may seem irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, but backup quarterback remains one of the most underrated positions in any of the four major sports. The wrong name behind Allen, likely one the Bills hope they never have to see in the weekly box score, could save or derail a championship effort the Bills have steadily built.
Free Agents-to-be
Matt Barkley
Barkley’s football career has never truly recovered since he fell to the fourth round of the 2013 draft and a six-game stint as a starter yielded little in Chicago. But he managed to create some stability in Buffalo after guiding the Bills to a one-sided win over the Jets during the aforementioned 2018 season, having been Allen’s backup ever since. Barkley’s given little reason for the Bills to move on, but it’s possible they could move on to a younger name like Fromm to serve as Allen’s understudy.
Will They Draft?
Very, very, very unlikely. The Bills just used a draft pick on a quarterback in Fromm, and if they bring in another camp arm. It’ll likely be one of the veteran free agent variety. Longshot options on day three include Ian Book of Notre Dame and Dustin Crum out of Kent State.
Veteran Possibilities
Tyrod Taylor, LA Chargers
One of the most reliable pre-Allen options as Buffalo quarterback was Taylor, who helped the Bills end a playoff drought that nearly became old enough to enjoy a Labatt Blue legally. Since Allen’s takeover, Taylor has been the opening act for rookie sensations in Cleveland and Los Angeles. If Allen were to go down, Taylor would serve as a reliable replacement because he has likewise been a multi-threat; some of the records Allen broke this season, namely the quarterback rushing marks, previously belonged to Taylor.
Jacoby Brissett, Indianapolis
It’s unfortunate that Brissett likely won’t get an opportunity to win his starting job back in Indianapolis, as he performed admirably when Andrew Luck abruptly retired in 2018. Brissett is another mobile threat who would help Buffalo quickly pick up the pieces if the unthinkable happened to Allen. Despite backing up Phillip Rivers this season, the Colts had Brissett come for quarterback sneak situations on crucial short-yardage situations (scoring three touchdowns last season).
If Barkley leaves and the Bills go looking for a more traditional veteran option to compete with Fromm, they could go with McCoy, who was relatively decent in two starts with the Giants, even helping the team earn a win in Seattle.
Outlook
Quarterback remains very low on the Bills’ offseason priority list. If they lose Barkley, it’s likely they’ll attempt to groom Fromm into the backup role, though a competition will ensue if they want someone with more experience behind Allen.
The New York Giants hold the 6th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Much speculation has been made over whether or not the Giants will draft a quarterback. Recent rumors regarding Eli Manning’s future seem to indicate that the Giants are not going to draft a quarterback.
If the Giants do not draft a quarterback, they have one other option. The Giants could try to trade for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen. However, Rosen has a fairly competitive market, and it is unclear how interested in Rosen the Giants truly are.
We know the Giants do have interest in Josh Rosen, but that does not mean they are interested enough to win a bidding war for Josh. If the Giants do not draft a quarterback and they do not trade for Josh Rosen, then what will be left for them to do at quarterback?
Stick With Eli Manning
Some fans may think this is crazy, but sticking with Eli Manning for another year has its benefits. Eli is coming off one of the best statistical seasons of his career. Regardless of how fans and analysts dissect and interpret Eli’s play, there is no denying he is a beloved teammate and leader for the Giants.
In 2018, Eli Manning had the lowest interception total of his career with only 11. He also threw 21 touchdown passes with 4,299 yards. His 66% completion percentage was also a career high.
The Giants’ owners have not committed to Eli past 2019. However, there have not committed to letting him walk, either. The team is 100% committed to him this year and will once again try to put the right pieces around him to give him the chance to make a playoff run. If he plays well, expect to see him back in 2020.
Eli Manning has always brought one key thing to the table: availability. Manning has never missed a game and is always ready to suit up for Big Blue. With Eli, the Giants know what they’re getting and that provides them with a level of confidence.
Many fans and analysts seem to think that 2019 needs to be Eli’s last year, but it does not. If the Giants show improvement in 2019 and Eli plays well, they will keep him and worry about finding the next quarterback later on down the road.
However, if 2019 does not go as planned for Eli Manning, the Giants have other options at quarterback if they do not acquire one this year.
The 2020 Draft Class
Much has been made about the Giants and the 2019 NFL Draft class. There has been plenty of speculation about the Giants drafting quarterbacks in 2019 such as Dwayne Haskins, Daniel Jones, or Drew Lock.
But if the Giants do not love any of these prospects, they will not force themselves to take one. They can always wait until next year. It just so happens that 2020 has some intriguing quarterback prospects.
One name that Giants fans might be familiar with is Justin Herbert. Herbert looked primed to be the 2019 NFL Draft’s top quarterback early in the NFL season. The Giants were also known to have a lot of interest in Herbert. Unfortunately for Big Blue, Justin decided to stay at Oregon for one more season of college football. He will be in the 2020 NFL Draft and he will be a highly-coveted prospect.
Justin Herbert is not the only quarterback prospect set to be taken in the 1st round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Tua Tagovailoa from Alabama and Jake Fromm from Georgia are also receiving a lot of buzz as they head into their junior seasons. One problem with each of these players is actually the fact that they will be juniors in 2019, meaning they could choose to not declare for the draft in 2020.
It would be incredibly unfortunate for the Giants if they passed on a quarterback this year and were left with few options next year. This is why many will say they should just find their guy this year. For now, fans will wait and anticipate the 2019 NFL Draft. The Giants are at a crossroads with many different options to choose from. The question is, where will they go from here?
The New York Giants are in the midst of one of the worst 3 year runs in franchise history. They improved in 2018 to a measly 5-11 after going 3-13 in 2017. They fired their head coach in 2017 after only 2 seasons. In the 2019 offseason, they traded away the team’s best player and set off a fanbase that was already unhappy.
All of these low moments in the New York Giants’ franchise history could go away soon. An era is coming to an end soon, whether the Giants want to admit it or not. Eli Manning has been with the Giants for 15 years. 2019 will be his 16th season. Manning brought the Giants 2 Super Bowls in his career. But, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.
Manning, at 38 years old, only threw for 21 touchdown passes in 2018. In 2017, he threw only 19 touchdown passes. This is not the type of production one would expect from a quarterback making over $20 million per year.
The Giants will need to make a change at the quarterback position soon. Even general manager Dave Gettleman can admit that. There are options in the 2019 offseason, however, there are options outside of the 2019 offseason too. Some fans might think it is a good idea to wait until 2020 or later for a quarterback. However, there is one big reason why the Giants should not wait.
The 2020 Draft Class Is Not Set In Stone
The 2020 NFL Draft class is expected to be an exceptional class for the quarterback position. However, fans and analysts need to temper their expectations.
The class is set to feature three big names: Jake Fromm, Justin Herbert, and Tua Tagovailoa. Justin Herbert will be a senior in 2019, so he will definitely be in the 2020 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the other two prospects.
Jake Fromm and Tua Tagovailoa are going to be juniors in 2019. This means they will be draft eligible, but they are not guaranteed to declare for the draft. Many fans got their hopes up in 2018 about Justin Herbert. They believed he would declare for the 2019 NFL Draft class and the Giants would be in the Herbert sweepstakes.
Unfortunately, Justin Herbert decided to stay in school to complete his senior year. The reason it is dangerous to bank on the 2020 draft class is the fact that Tagovailoa and Fromm can do exactly what Justin Herbert did. Some players dream to play through their senior year, so no one really knows what the 2020 class will look like.
Jake Fromm plays for a talent-filled Georgia team that has the potential to compete for National Championships over the next two years. The same goes for Tua Tagovailoa. Football players love to win football games. It is as simple as that. If Tagovailoa and/or Fromm feels they can win a National Championship as a senior, they might find that opportunity too difficult to pass up on.
Aside from Justin Herbert, there are other notable quarterbacks who decided to play through their respective senior-years of college. Peyton and Eli Manning, Andrew Luck, and Baker Mayfield (just to name a few). So it would not be out of the ordinary if one of the two, or if both of the two (Tua Tagovailoa and Jake Fromm) decided to stay in school through their senior years.
The Giants know who is available in the 2019 offseason. The 2020 offseason is far from being set in stone. Between now and April 2020, a lot can change. The Giants should not waste any more of Saquon Barkley’s career as they attempt to find the next franchise quarterback.
