This is the definition of a breakout season for New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones.
Jones’ fifth-year option has been declined, he’s ready to play for his third head coach in four seasons and he needs to prove he has what it takes to be Big Blue’s franchise QB of the future once and for all.
As it does? Well, new Giants coach Brian Daboll thinks Jones should be himself and ignore the pressure.
“These first three and a half weeks I have been close to him [since the offseason program began]I’ve been impressed with his work ethic, his leadership when he’s with the guys,” Daboll said of Jones on WFAN Radio. Tiki and Tierney podcast, via the Giants team website. “He does a good job in the meeting. I want him to be himself as well. I want him to not be afraid of the consequences and pull the trigger and attack and have a positive mindset and continue to grow and learn.”
It’s a bit of a tough question considering the pressure on Jones to perform now and all the scrutiny that has come over the last three seasons because of his 36 fumbles and 29 interceptions, which is to say, the consequences of not being afraid of pull the trigger and attack. .
However, Daboll’s rise from Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator to Giants head coach was due in part to his work with star quarterback Josh Allen, who had a lot of turnover problems in his rookie year. before making a spectacular transition to one of the best quarterbacks in the game.
Can Daboll do the same with Danny Dimes? That is the hope.
“At the end of the day, he’s his own man,” Daboll said. “We have to develop an offense that suits his skill set, which he has a lot of. [skills]. He is athletic. He is big. It has some mobility to it. There are a lot of plays where you’re like, ‘Okay, maybe this will look good.’ But so are the surrounding pieces. We weren’t the same every year in Buffalo, either. The first year was very different from the second year, where we had “Smoke” John Brown and then we added [Stefon] Diggs next year. So, you continually evolve.”
Like Allen, the 24-year-old Jones is a former first-round quarterback who can be a double threat when needed. However, Jones has never been able to consistently perform at a stellar level.
He made a stunning debut as a rookie in 2019, but the hype and phenomenal play dwindled. In his 2020 campaign, there were games where he looked like a one-man gang holding out the Giants’ fleeting postseason hopes, but it all fell apart. Now, after three seasons starting at Gotham, Jones is 12-25 as a starter with 8,398 receiving yards (221 per game), 45 touchdowns, 29 interceptions, 1,000 yards and five rushing touchdowns and 36 fumbles.
Daboll is tasked with turning Jones into the elite quarterback the franchise hoped to become when it spent the No. 6 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft on him.
For that to happen, Daboll thinks Jones needs to take over and he likes what he’s seen so far.
“It’s fine and graceful when you’re standing on the sideline calling plays, but you’re not the one behind in the pack and you’re not the one pulling the trigger,” Daboll said. “So I think it’s a collaborative effort on some of the things that he likes and continuing to help him get better. He’s got a great mindset. He’s got a good mental toughness about him. We’re taking it day by day.”