Subscribe
Follow Us
The New York Giants remembered and honored the 100 greatest players in franchise history at halftime of their Week 1 showdown with the Minnesota Vikings, but it was a game to forget for quarterback Daniel Jones. The G-Men's QB had a disastrous outing on Sunday, resulting in a 28-6 loss and plenty of boos from the home crowd at MetLife Stadium.
Jones recorded 186 yards, two interceptions (one being a pick-six), and a brutal 44.3 passer rating in the debut to the Giants' 100th season. This is the second year in a row Daniel Jones has failed to lead his offense to a touchdown during the season opener, as New York was shutout in an embarrassing 40-0 blowout against the Dallas Cowboys last September.
Giants fans let Jones hear their contempt during the game and voiced their frustrations even after the lopsided loss concluded.
WILD: A lot of #Giants fans stayed after today’s loss waiting for Daniel Jones to leave the stadium so they could BOO & HECKLE HIM after an awful performance today.
😳
(via @RUgiants)
pic.twitter.com/nHGzcTtXUV— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) September 9, 2024
The Giants' leading man obviously witnessed the anger from the New York faithful, who were hoping to see their team get back on track after finishing 6-11 last season and missing the playoffs. When asked about the disdain he faced in Week 1, Jones largely brushed it off while acknowledging his shortcomings, per Madelyn Burke.
“Fans, they're upset and they're frustrated. We're frustrated too,” Jones admitted. “I understand that. I'm not easily offended. I understand how it works. I know I’ve got to play better, we all got to play better.”
Although the Giants aren't expected to win their competitive division, they didn't exactly enter Week 1 as underdogs. The Vikings lost rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy in preseason and could be looking at another losing season. Yet, that untimely injury didn't stop Minnesota from carving up New York on both sides of the ball.
Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold impressed with 208 yards and two touchdowns while Minnesota's defense held the Giants to just two field goals. Darnold's surprising day only made Jones' disappointing performance look worse.
Can Daniel Jones and the Giants bounce back?
The good news for the G-Men was that it's only Week 1. However, things don't look much easier for them down the road.
Next, the Giants will travel to Maryland to face the Washington Commanders, who are also 0-1 following a 37-20 defeat at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Then in Week 3, they head to Ohio to take on a Cleveland Browns team that struggled to put up points as well.
Unfortunately for Jones and company, their schedule really toughens up in late September and October. In order, the Giants will play the Dallas Cowboys, the Seattle Seahawks, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Last season, four out of those five opponents made the playoffs—and the Bengals might've only missed it because franchise quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending injury in Week 11.
Before that difficult slate, Jones has to worry about getting outplayed by Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. If the Giants fall to 0-2 and Jones loses to a rookie, the boos will be louder than ever when the Big Blue go back home to East Rutherford. Some might even call for his starting job and advocate for Giants backup quarterback Tommy DeVito.
