Don’t give up on Daniel Jones quite yet

Don’t write Daniel Jones off just yet.

In today’s society where we prefer to make our cocoa straight away, Jones may be a reminder that some things take time to develop. Not everything happens overnight.

With the Giants facing a dreaded 0-3 start, Jones turned in one of his better performances on Sunday, completing 70.59% of his passes (24 of 34) for 236 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-15 finish -victory over the Browns.

Jones’ best drive was a 14-play, 93-yard scoring drive in the second quarter, capped with a 3-yard TD pass to rookie Malik Nabers. That score gave the Giants the lead, and they held on the rest of the way.

In a “proof” year for Jones, it was his second straight game with a passer rating of at least 100. The last time he played two consecutive games with a passer rating above 100 was October 9th and 13th. 16. 2022.

“He was locked in, and that’s what he was,” Giants coach Brian Daboll said. “We’re going to need it from him this week (against the Cowboys on Thursday) — a short week. There’s a lot to do.”

Jones has never had a longer stretch in his career with three straight games with a passer rating above 100. Considering Jones is 1-7 in his career against the Cowboys, the odds aren’t good that he’ll make it on Thursday. But it feels like Jones is turning things around in his sixth season, especially playing behind the best offensive line he’s ever had.

When Jones was asked about the improved O-line this week, he said, “Yeah, it gives you a lot of confidence, seeing the field and finding the open player, getting the ball out of my hands, all those things.” I have a lot of confidence in these guys.”

The Giants also showed some confidence in Jones this offseason, choosing to use the sixth overall pick on Nabers instead of a quarterback. And it’s hard to blame Jones for just one playoff appearance in his career so far, as he’s worked for three different head coaches (Pat Shurmur, Joe Judge, Daboll) and four different offensive coordinators (Mike Shula, Jason Garrett, Freddie Kitchens ) played and Mike Kafka).

Sometimes it’s enough to familiarize yourself with the right system and develop further. Sam Darnold is an example of this as the Vikings are off to a 3-0 start. Darnold, the Jets’ third overall pick in the 2018 draft, was out of New York, but things are finally moving in the right direction on his fourth team in seven years.

Seattle’s Geno Smith and Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield are other quarterbacks who have found success by switching to other systems.

And while it’s difficult for fans to endure the growing pains, sometimes quarterbacks need time and experience before they reach their potential. Alex Smith, a former No. 1 quarterback drafted by the 49ers, didn’t reach his first Pro Bowl until his eighth season in the league and won a couple of AFC West titles with the Chiefs later in his career.

Hall of Famer Steve Young is another late bloomer, making his first Pro Bowl in his eighth season and winning two MVP awards in his age-31 and age-33 seasons.

At the end of the day, the Giants’ best chance is to move forward with Jones. It can’t be emphasized enough: sometimes it just takes time, and finding the “next big thing” in the draft is even more of a roll of the dice.

Just look at some of the names from the last few years that many believed were now on their way to stardom: Bryce Young, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields. It’s much safer for the Giants to rely on Jones to continue improving.

So is Daniel Jones the right QB for the Giants? He has the rest of the season to prove it.