New York Giants rookie quarterback Daniel Jones looked stellar in his preseason debut on Thursday night, completing all five of his passes for 67 yards and a touchdown during his team's 31-22 victory over the New York Jets.
Jones probably would have come out for a second drive had it not been for an hour-long weather delay that ended his evening, but during the time we saw him, he was spectacular.
Of course, it was a very small sample size. It was just one drive, but based on all of the criticism the Giants have taken for selecting Jones with the sixth overall pick in the draft back in April, it had to feel somewhat vindicating for both Jones and New York.
The Giants didn't seem too surprised by Jones' performance, as they have been getting a good look at him all offseason, and by all accounts, he has been terrific through offseason workouts and training camp.
But to see Jones put it all together in an actual NFL game was pretty significant.
The question is, how interesting does this make things for Big Blue heading into 2019?
Well, for those thinking Jones may now supplant Eli Manning as the starter, you should probably slow your roll a bit. Manning basically has the No. 1 job locked down, and it would take a dramatic turn of events for that to change.
However, what Jones has done is inspire some confidence that if (and probably when) the Giants fall out of playoff contention sometime this season, Jones could very well step in for Manning.
Manning is going into the final year of his deal, and while we can't completely rule out the possibility of New York bringing him back, chances are, Jones will be the starter come 2020.
Because of that, the Giants may want to get Jones some meaningful reps during the regular season this year so he is at least somewhat prepared to take over under center next season.
Sound familiar?
Back in 2004 when New York drafted Manning, the Giants began the 2004 campaign with Kurt Warner under center, but made the switch over to Eli midway through the year. Manning has been the starter ever since.
Obviously, that strategy is not just limited to New York. That is a very typical path of rookie quarterbacks. Unless you actually don't have a quarterback (like the Arizona Cardinals, for example) and need to start your rookie, teams generally take it slow with first-year signal-callers, understanding that it's a process.
The last thing you want to do is throw a young quarterback into the fire when he is not ready, as it can shake his confidence going forward.
In the case of the Giants and Jones, all Thursday evening did was show that Jones definitely has some talent and will be the successor to Manning at some point in the future.
It did not create a quarterback competition, nor did it put any pressure on Eli between now and September.
But if and when New York falls out of the race and wants to make a change, Jones will be ready.
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