At this point, New York Giants fans are more at the “uncontrollable rage” stage rather than panic. Quarterback Daniel Jones had another abysmal performance in the 28-6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, and it was yet another reminder of the organization's $160 million mistake.
Some Giants fans burned Jones jerseys outside of MetLife Stadium, via Meadowlark Media's Sarah McCrory,
Jones, of course, received a four-year, $160 million contract after leading the Giants to the NFC Divisional round in 2022. Since then, the Duke alum has tossed three pick-sixes and two touchdown passes.
Jones completed just 22-of-42 passes for 186 yards against the Vikings, with two interceptions and five sacks taken. The Duke alum admitted that he was subpar, via The New York Post's Mark Cannizzaro.
“Obviously not good enough,’’ Jones said. “The fact that we scored six points, didn’t execute in the red zone, didn’t consistently execute and move the ball. All those things. I need to play better.’’
New York fans collectively screamed at Jones and the offense as the game progressed.
“It’s our job to give them something to cheer about and to play well, to execute,’’ Jones said.
The thing is, Jones has had since 2019 to “give them something to cheer about.” Other than the temporary respite in 2022, Giants fans have been subjected to nothing but pain throughout the 27-year-old's tenure.
However, there are new reasons for them to panic even more.
Daniel Jones had decent pass protection against the Vikings
Oftentimes, quarterbacks struggle due to a lack of pass protection. However, New York's offensive line did its part on Sunday, via The New York Post's Ryan Dunleavy.
“#Giants Daniel Jones' 2.82 seconds to throw ranks 12th in the league in Week 1 so far, per @NextGenStats,” Dunleavy reported. “The OL was, as advertised, about NFL average yesterday in pass-blocking.”
The game tape supports the data, via Big Blue Banter's Dan Schneier.
“Bottom line: If your QB is going to manage a pocket like this, you have no chance to win. This was one of multiple sacks the #Giants QB walked himself into,” Schneier said. “He was always a poor pocket manager, but he has regressed. He has no feel for when to bail, how to reset, where to flow.”
The clip shows Jones escaping a clean pocket and running into pass rushers rather than throwing. Minnesota isn't known for its pass rush, it could get ugly against upper-echelon defenses.
Daniel Jones could alienate Malik Nabers
It's no secret that Nabers has the makings to be New York's new offensive star in the wake of Saquon Barkley's departure. However, Jones could stunt the LSU alum's development and morale if he continues struggling.
Nabers even admitted he's not always on the same page as Jones, via SNY.
“I don't know really what was going on back there, but I'm getting out on my routs and just trying to make a play,” Nabers said. I'm trying to find him, trying to find a better throw for him to make, so I was just doing my job. That's all I can do.”
As a wide receiver, it's normal to not be fully in tune with the quarterback's reads and decision-making post-snap, as they line up and run routes out on the perimeter, where they can't see the entire field as clearly. However, Nabers' comments suggest that he and Jones haven't developed much chemistry yet.
Nabers caught five passes for a team-high 66 yards on seven targets on Sunday. The 21-year-old's receiving yardage total led all 2024 first-round picks in Week 1. However, his numbers could have been even gaudier with a better quarterback, via WBG84 on X, formerly known as “Twitter.”
“Giants WR Malik Nabers averaged 3.9 yards per separation against the Vikings, per @NextGenStats,” the user reported. “That ranks 8th among all WR's entering Monday Night. #Giants100”
Ranking in the top 10 for separation yardage in an NFL debut is stellar, but the box score didn't show it because of Jones' limitations. How long until Nabers throws fits?
The Giants might be too good for the first-overall pick
The worst place for a franchise to be is “no man's land.” It's okay to either be a contender or a tanking squad, but being in the middle doesn't yield the benefits of either extreme. As mediocre as the Giants were in Week 1, the Carolina Panthers' 47-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints shows they'll have competition in the tanking sweepstakes. It's unclear who the consensus top pick will be in 2025, but Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers looks like an intriguing replacement for Jones.
However, with the presence of top-end talent like Nabers and defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, will New York be bad enough to land the quarterback of its dreams in April?
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