Giants QB Daniel Jones shows a bit of what he could become, but once again, the wheels fall off

There is just one simple question to ask about Daniel Jones now that he is 20 starts into his NFL career as the Giants’ quarterback:

Just what exactly is he?

Easy question. Complicated answer.

Very complicated.

Jones has certainly shown promise in spots, threading a pass between defenders to make a big play, or heaving the ball downfield for a long completion, or using his speed to break a long run. Those are the moments when he at least shows flashes of being a big-time passer.

But then there are those moments when he makes these mind-numbing mistakes that cost his team games. A costly interception at a critical juncture. A killer fumble. An overthrown ball to a wide-open receiver.

What is he?

Well, we don’t quite know just yet. Maybe he is simply not good enough, not consistent enough, to make good on the investment the Giants made in him as the sixth overall pick in the 2019 draft. Or maybe he still needs more time to develop and overcome the mistakes he’s making now on the way to becoming a more accomplished player. A more trustworthy one, too.

What Jones did in Monday night’s 25-23 loss to the Buccaneers did little to address the uncertainty of what Jones is and what he can be. Because there were moments when he convinced you he doesn’t have what it takes — like the two interceptions that may have cost his team the game.

And yet there were moments when he made you wonder whether there might indeed be the kind of magic you need from your quarterback. The moments that separate the good ones from the great ones. Like the final drive of the game, when Jones, trailing by eight points to Tom Brady’s team, drove his team the length of the field, extricated his way out of two fourth-down situations and threw a brilliant 19-yard touchdown pass to Golden Tate in the final seconds to get within two points.

Jones’ two-point attempt to Dion Lewis fell incomplete on what should have been a pass interference call but was ultimately ruled no foul and allowed Brady to escape with the win and leave the Giants in a 1-7 heap.

The turnovers are a recurring theme — a nightmare, really — in this early part of Jones’ career. And while he couldn’t fully recover from the two on Monday night, Jones’ coach sees enough in his quarterback to keep taking swings despite all the misses.

Jones may be an enigma, but in his coach’s eyes, he’s a young player who will clearly be given the benefit of time.

"Daniel’s our quarterback, clearly put," Joe Judge said. "What we have to do is keep improving everything around him. I told Daniel on both [interceptions], be patient with it. Stay committed to it. We’re going to need you down the stretch. We need you to make big plays and obviously, he made a lot of big plays for us."

Jones, who was 25-for-41 for 256 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, acknowledged his shortcomings but vowed to fight on.

"I think those [interceptions] were costly mistakes for us, and it’s something I have to work on and improve on," he said. "I understand that."

Why do the mistakes consistently happen?

"They’re all individual plays and cases," he said. "I’ve got to be able to apply an idea, regardless of the play and the situation, and learn from it and improve."

The idea he needs to apply most is to resist trying to do too much on a given play. If he’s under pressure and can’t immediately find an open receiver, then take the sack. Or throw the ball out of harm’s way and don’t try a low percentage pass that can be intercepted. As both passes were on Monday.

"I think there’s a number of situations that are similar and I need to improve," he said. "I’ve got to learn and correct those mistakes. That’s where my focus is, and I’ve got to do it."

The NFL has become increasingly impatient with quarterback development, and even though it is still early for Jones, it may not be too early for the Giants to make a more definitive evaluation of Jones in the second half of the season.

There are eight games left until the 2021 draft and the Giants might have to decide whether Jones is the answer — or whether they need to look elsewhere for their quarterback of the future.

Jones insists he’s not preoccupied with his job security.

"My focus is to prepare to win games and play well to improve week-to-week," he said. "That’s my approach. I take that seriously. That’s my job. That’s where my focus is."

There is still a long way to go in his development, and a long way to go before there is a definitive answer to the question of just what Jones is.

By Bob Glauber

Special to NewsdayBobGlauber

Bob Glauber retired in 2022 after covering the NFL for nearly 40 years. He was selected in 2021 for the Bill Nunn Career Achievement Award by the Pro Football Writers of America, and is a three-time winner of the New York State Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. President of the PFWA for the 2018-20 seasons, he is the author of “The Forgotten First” and “Guts and Genius.”