Daniel Jones tries to recapture his glory day vs. Bucs
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones runs seven yards for a touchdown during the second half against the Buccaneers on Sept. 22, 2019, in Tampa, Fla. Credit: AP/Mark LoMoglio
It was a spectacular beginning for Daniel Jones, a performance so riveting and so inspirational that it raised hopes the Giants might have found their answer at quarterback for the next decade or more.
Jones put on a show in his NFL debut against the Buccaneers in Week 3 last season, throwing for 336 yards, two touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns to lead the Giants back from a 28-10 deficit to a 32-31 win at Raymond James Stadium. In the delirium that was the Giants’ locker room afterward, wide receiver Russell Shepard looked over at Jones as he finished getting dressed and spoke for many others in assessing the rookie quarterback.
"I think he’s going to be a great one," Shepard said. "He’s going to bring a lot of wins to this organization. He’s a winner. He’s a leader, and we’re going to ride with him until the wheels fall off."
Who could have possibly known then that the wheels would fall off so quickly?
As Jones prepared for his next meeting against the Buccaneers in Monday night’s game at MetLife Stadium, he did so with questions now surrounding him about whether he will ever become a great one. Not even 14 months after that memorable debut, Jones has won only three more games — all against an inferior Washington Football Team — and has lost 15 times. He went into his matchup against future Hall of Famer Tom Brady with a 1-6 record this year, and the turnovers that have plagued him since that extraordinary initial appearance continue.
Jones said he’d peruse his notes from last year’s game against the Buccaneers for this one, although Todd Bowles’ defense is a lot more reliable this year than in 2019.
"There are some similarities in terms of personnel, and obviously, the coordinator is the same," Jones said. "We’ve gone back and watched that game. I think we can take certain things from it here and there."
What he’d like to do was take the one thing from that game that simply hasn’t been there often enough for the second-year quarterback: consistency and big-play ability. He had just five touchdown throws and seven interceptions going into Monday’s game, a far cry from last year’s production, when he had 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 12 starts. After fumbling a league-high 18 times last year, he already has five fumbles.
Clearly, the adjustment to Jason Garrett’s offense hasn’t gone as planned, although not all of it is Jones’ fault. His pass protection has been woefully inconsistent, with rookie left tackle Andrew Thomas struggling to adapt to the pro game. And he’s without his best offensive playmaker in Saquon Barkley, who is out for the year with a knee injury. It hasn’t helped that Evan Engram has his own ball-security issues with fumbles and dropped passes, and his cast of receivers isn’t elite.
But if the Giants are going to continue casting their lot with Jones, then the remaining games this season will be an important indicator about how firm their commitment will be.
Coach Joe Judge has been patient with Jones, never undercutting his quarterback with public criticism. He has coached him hard in practice, no doubt. For now, Judge is willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
But that can only last so long, especially if Jones continues to struggle and not play like a No. 6 overall pick is supposed to.
Jones faced Tom Brady a second time on Monday, following up a 35-14 loss to the Patriots last Oct. 10 in New England. The two spent some time chatting after that game, with Brady imparting his best wishes to his young counterpart.
"I spoke to Tom for a brief moment after the game last year," Jones said. "Really just wished each other good luck going forward. I have a ton of respect for him, watching him growing up and all the success he’s had in this league."
Brady came to the Patriots in 2000 with far less expectations than Jones did with the Giants in 2019. In fact, Brady was viewed as a backup when Bill Belichick made the Michigan quarterback his sixth-round pick. But he took over for Drew Bledsoe early in the 2001 season when Jets linebacker Mo Lewis knocked Bledsoe out of the lineup in Week 3. And Brady went on to help build the greatest and longest lasting dynasty in NFL history.
After a 20-year partnership with Belichick, Brady set out on his own this year, signing with the Buccaneers as a free agent and quickly getting Tampa into the Super Bowl conversation. After an uneven start with three touchdown passes and three interceptions, Brady came into Monday night’s game with 15 touchdown passes and just one interception in his previous five.
Jones can’t hope to replicate Brady, the greatest quarterback of all time. But if he plans on being the Giants’ long-term quarterback, then he’ll need to be more like he was the last time he played Tampa.
A lot more like that, in fact.
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.”
