Week 1 in the Big Apple didn’t showcase stellar quarterback play between the New York Giants and New York Jets. Aaron Rodgers was benched during the Jets’ lopsided defeat to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football.
The Giants’ fans are feeling anxious after Daniel Jones’ performance against the Minnesota Vikings. A Giants insider shared reasons why the team should not consider benching Jones for Week 2 against the Washington Commanders.
Daniel Jones had a bad performance in Week 1
Jones was outperformed by Sam Darnold in the Vikings’ 28-6 victory at MetLife Stadium. Darnold threw for two touchdowns and one interception, while Jones completed 22 of 42 passes for 186 yards and two interceptions.
Jones’ biggest shortcoming was not fully utilizing rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers. Despite Nabers catching five passes for 66 yards, he could have had a much better game against a weak Vikings’ secondary.
New York Giants urged to keep Jones as QB1
Dan Duggan from The Athletic noted that replacing Jones with Drew Lock carries too much risk, as Lock doesn’t offer a higher ceiling than the current starter. The decision to switch quarterbacks is significant, especially without any guarantee that Lock would be a substantial improvement. It would be a different situation if Giants general manager Joe Schoen had managed to trade up for a quarterback in this year’s draft, leading to intense calls for the rookie. Remember Jones’ rookie season in 2019, when he took over as the starter after Eli Manning was benched in Week 3.
The Giants bought a long ticket to ride the Jones train
The Giants’ quarterback situation is less than ideal, but it’s the reality Schoen agreed to when he extended Jones’ contract in the 2023 offseason. The team is currently in quarterback limbo, and securing a top rookie in next year’s draft might prove challenging.
Even if the Giants manage to draft a quarterback in the first round next April, it could take a few seasons for Malik Nabers to experience competent quarterback play if a young signal-caller needs time to develop in New York.
