ESPN: Is this a valid argument or just an excuse for Jones?
Daniel Jones has emerged as one of the league’s most intriguing quarterbacks since his 2019 draft selection. Throughout his career, he has produced both extremely good and very bad moments, making him a fascinating talking point among fans.
Saquon Barkley, the running back for the New York Giants, was ultimately forced to leave in free agency this offseason. Their investment in Jones contributed to their inability to bring him back. Although Giants supporters aren’t very happy with the decision, is there a chance the Giants made the right choice?
Emmanuel Acho appears to concur. Acho participated in “Speak” and offered his opinions on the matter:
“Without a strong receiving threat or outstanding receiver, no quarterback can compete at a high level… The only quarterback worth $40 million without a Pro Bowl wide receiver is Daniels Jones. Though you can hold him accountable for it, pay attention to what I have to say next. Also lacking from his offensive line is a Pro Bowl player. That has nothing to do with Daniel Jones.
Acho does have a point when he says that the Giants’ offensive line has been awful; although Jones hasn’t played well lately, it’s possible that his lack of support from the line has had some bearing on his struggles.
Is this a valid argument or just an excuse for Jones?
In 2024, Jones will have several strong players surrounding him, so he’ll need to get better.
Some clubs have quarterbacks that they know can be excellent, and are labeled franchise-quarterbacks. There are other clubs that know for a certainty they don’t have a player who can achieve that peak level. Even though one of these solutions is obviously better, you would still like your team to be on one of these ends so you can at least be aware of your position.
In light of this, the Giants find themselves in somewhat of an unfortunate circumstance. They currently don’t know if Jones can lead their franchise or not, so they’re mired in the middle.
After an amazing 2022 season, which was followed up by a poor 2023 campaign, there are a lot of issues about the roster, with Jones being just one of them. Acho gave his thoughts on whether Jones might be labeled the Giants’ franchise quarterback or not.
They don’t seem to believe he’s the one. Simply put, I believe they want proof that he isn’t.
In 2022, Jones enjoyed his finest season as a quarterback, throwing for 3,205 yards, a respectable touchdown-to-interception ratio of 15 to 5, and a respectable completion percentage of 67.2%.
His season in 2023 was difficult, to put it mildly. Jones just didn’t perform at the same level as the year before, despite an outstanding performance that included five game-winning drives. Jones only threw two touchdowns in six games while missing the most of the season due to injury, and his six interceptions were more than he had the year before.
Jones is currently getting further assistance this offseason. With Malik Nabers selected by the Giants in the spring draft, Jones has a reliable alternative to receive the ball. On the offensive line, Jon Runyan Jr., Jermaine Eluemunor, Aaron Stinnie, and Matt Nelson were also added, which could aid Jones somewhat.
