3 reasons Daniel Jones should be the Giants’ QB of the future
By Scott Rogust
In the biggest game of his career, Daniel Jones showed why he is the New York Giants’ quarterback for the foreseeable future after beating the Minnesota Vikings in the playoffs.
Daniel Jones entered the NFL in 2019 as the No. 6 overall pick by the New York Giants out of Duke. The fanbase was, well, not entirely thrilled at the time, considering how the NFL Draft board was shaped up. It certainly didn’t help matters when former general manager Dave Gettleman said he fell in “full bloom love” after watching Jones play three series in the Senior Bowl. Jones showed promise in his rookie season, but then dealt with turnover issues. In his second and third years, Jones dealt with ineffective offensive play-calling, offensive lines that couldn’t protect him, and various injuries.
Now, in Year Four, Jones is a winning quarterback in the playoffs.
On Sunday, the six-seeded Giants defeated the No. 3 seed Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. Jones accounted for 379 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in the victory.
The Giants and Jones have silenced the critics after a strong 2022 season. Here’s why Jones is the team’s quarterback for the foreseeable future.
3 reasons Daniel Jones should be the Giants’ QB of the future, No. 3: Played lights out in playoff debut
Let’s start off with Jones’ playoff debut. When quarterbacks start in their first-ever playoff game, they are shaking off some nerves. That leads to interceptions thrown or footballs being fumbled. But for Jones, he was unfazed and played a perfect game.
On his very first playoff drive, Jones just needed five plays to tie the game up at 7-7. He threw a 13-yard pass to Richie James and a 22-yard throw to Darius Slayton. Jones then used his legs on two plays, picking up seven- and 15-yards on each. That drive ended with Barkley running for a 28-yard touchdown.
Jones pulled off some incredible plays throughout the game. Such as a behind-the-back handoff to running back Matt Breida, to his crossbody throw to Isaiah Hodgins in the fourth quarter. Jones was in his bag on Sunday.
Jones finished the game completing 24-of-35 pass attempts for 301 yards and two touchdowns, while running for 78 yards on 17 carries. He became the first player in NFL history to throw for over 300 yards, throw two touchdown passes, and run for over 70 yards in a playoff game.
This is a game that left Giants fans in awe of how well he played. Now, they wait to see what he can do in the Divisional Round against the rival Philadelphia Eagles.