Is the New York Giants’ season already on the brink after one game? That’s how it feels after a disheartening 28-6 loss to the Vikings in Sunday’s season opener.
Here’s a final look at yet another discouraging season opener:
Jones’ last stand?
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones made the first start of the second season since signing a four-year, $160 million contract on Sunday. He has only made seven starts since signing that deal and has only finished five games.
Yet, coach Brian Daboll fielded questions postgame Sunday and again during his Monday postmortem about whether he will bench Jones. Daboll affirmed that he is sticking with Jones.
It may seem wild that Daboll is fielding those questions so early in the season. But it’s wilder that the questions are completely legitimate.
It’s not just that Jones didn’t perform well in Sunday’s loss. It’s that he looked like a rattled, broken quarterback. He looked even worse than he did last season when serious concerns about his future were raised by poor performance and injuries.
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Benching Jones after one ugly showing in his return from a torn ACL would be an overreaction. But it’s fair to wonder about the length of his leash.
Daboll had a quick hook for underperforming veterans in his first two seasons. Wide receiver Kenny Golladay was benched after one game in 2022, and guard Mark Glowinski got the same treatment last season.
But changing quarterbacks is a far more consequential decision, especially with no assurances that backup Drew Lock will be a significant upgrade. It would be much different if Giants general manager Joe Schoen had successfully traded up for a quarterback in this year’s draft. The calls to play the rookie would be deafening already. Think back to Jones’ rookie season in 2019 when he took over as the starter after franchise icon Eli Manning was benched in Week 3.
Even without a quarterback of the future waiting in the wings, Daboll’s patience will grow thin if Jones doesn’t turn things around quickly. A favorable matchup against a bad Commanders defense that allowed 37 points in a Week 1 loss to the Buccaneers could signal Jones’ last stand.
If Jones flops against the Commanders, a quarterback change should become a serious consideration next week.
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Not a concern
It’s obvious that Jones’ injury guarantee — the Giants will owe him $23 million if he suffers an injury and can’t pass a physical if the team cuts him next offseason — isn’t weighing on Daboll’s mind.
Daboll called three power runs for Jones, exposing the quarterback to additional hits in his first game back from a major injury. Jones needs to use his legs to be an effective quarterback, so Daboll can’t call plays with a fear of injury.
Trailing 28-6, Daboll called timeouts to get the ball back during Minnesota’s final possession. The Vikings punted to the Giants with 1:36 remaining, and Daboll kept Jones in the game.
(Photo of Daniel Jones: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)