New York Giants: Can Daniel Jones Turn Another Corner?

The New York Giants were pleasantly surprised by just how well the pairing of Brian Daboll and Daniel Jones improved the quarterback position this past season. Jones was the recipient of media criticism far too much in New York and if the Giants were going to figure him out, they needed an offensive-minded coach to do so. Daboll stepped in and made similar improvements with Daniel Jones as he did with Josh Allen, but can Jones get over the hump this coming season?

There are already rumors that Jones is looking for a long-term deal with a hefty raise. Whether or not he gets it is yet to be determined but there are a few question marks surrounding the Giants QB. Now there were plenty of improvements out of the offense this year, but you have to wonder if 2022 was Daniel Jones’ ceiling. The first correction Daboll and the company made with Jones was to stop forcing the football into coverage. That seems to be a staple of the offensive concept under Brian Daboll. If the pass isn’t there, you can tuck it and run and turn broken plays into positive yards. It happened with the Bills and as well with the Giants.

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With all that taken into consideration, Daniel Jones hasn’t shown he can be as good as Josh Allen yet. Was his ability to run the football a product of teams who dared the New York Giants to beat them on the ground? Knowing Jones wasn’t going to torch them downfield, a bend-but-don’t-break defense kept teams in games that would occasionally swing in favor of the Giants. Will teams make the adjustments this offseason to throw more packages to take away run lanes by the quarterback and force NY to throw into tighter coverage, an area where Jones has struggled?

On the flip side, as long as we’re comparing a Brian Daboll-coached Daniel Jones to a Brian Daboll-coached Josh Allen, will an explosive wide receiver take Jones to the next level? Josh Allen became an elite QB in most people’s minds when the Buffalo Bills acquired Stephon Diggs. If the Giants can go after a big target downfield for Jones and pair him with a young drafted counterpart, will their offense enjoy the same explosiveness? If New York finally invests in an offensive line to keep their QB upright and open more lanes, can the run game be just as explosive?

A day of reckoning is coming for the New York Giants. By seeking a new contract, Daniel Jones has forced them to make a decision to invest in him and the players around him. If he’s their answer it’s a great move. If he’s not, they’re in a tough division as far as competition goes and it could set the franchise back again. So, do the New York Giants think Daniel Jones will be their future Super Bowl QB, or is he just a placeholder until they find their guy?