New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones took a huge step forward last year under first year head coach Brian Daboll. In a division with 2 other playoff teams and the team that represented the NFC in the Super Bowl, the Giants were the surprise of the NFL last year. Not only did they make the playoffs, but they won a road playoff game and were one of the final 8 teams standing.
So far in 2023, it’s all gone backwards. Jones and the defense has regressed. The Giants have been outscored 77-9 in the 1st half this year, and have been outscored by opposing defenses at home this year. The team is 1-3 and has road matchups with the Dolphins and Bills on tap. In short, the season is quickly going off the rails. Tough questions now have to be asked. Was last year a fluke, and more importantly, can the Giants get to the promised land with Daniel Jones? Jones surpassed all expectations last year, but he also managed to stay healthy and had a healthy Saquon Barkley taking pressure off him. Is Daniel Jones capable of saving this season? The Giants sure paid him like to be a superstar quarterback. The Giants signed him to a 4 year, $160,000,000 contract during the offseason. Included in the deal was a $36,000,000 signing bonus and $92,000,000 guaranteed. However, it should be noted that neither the coach nor the GM drafted Jones. They could, conceivably, want their own franchise QB.
However, the talent around Jones, paticularly with Barkley injured, is striking. The offensive line has been terrible, receivers can’t get open, and newly acquired tight end Darren Waller disappears for long stretches of the game. In short, Jones has to be better, but he has little hope with such little talent around him.
The Giants have plenty of work to do, but Jones is the least of their issues. They need to get Barkley back on the field, and they need to get left tackle Andrew Thomas back as well. A strong offensive line and strong running game are best friends to a quarterback. Daniel Jones may not be the one to lead the Giants back to the Super Bowl, but we will never know until the Giants put more talent around him.