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Like payphones, cassette tapes, floppy disks and other ancient technologies, the idea of a Daniel Jones Turnover Machine is outdated.
In maybe the most drastic correction of a player’s weakness that the Giants have experienced since Tiki Barber fixed his fumbling issue, Jones has thrown the fewest interceptions (four) of any NFL quarterback with at least 10 starts. He and the injured Jimmy Garoppolo are tied for the fewest of any quarterback with at least 200 attempts: Jones has twice that many (406) and about 100 more than Garoppolo, who opened the season as a backup.
All of a sudden a new narrative is forming as the Giants (8-5-1) close in on a playoff berth: Jones is playing like a winner.
“I’ve gotten a better idea of what does win in the NFL,” Jones said. “A lot of times, it’s not what you would think. It has a lot to do with taking care of the ball, staying in good situations for the offense, executing on critical downs and scoring in the red zone.”
As a rookie in 2019, Jones tied for second in the NFL with 23 turnovers (12 interceptions and 11 fumbles lost) despite making just 12 starts. He was tied for fourth with 16 (10 interceptions and six fumbles lost) in 14 starts in 2020. After an injury-shortened 2021, Jones owns the NFL’s best interception rate — 1 percent of his passes — and has fewer turnovers (seven, including three lost fumbles) than 25 other quarterbacks despite ranking fifth at his position in rushing attempts (105).
“Give credit to him,” head coach Brian Daboll said. “He has to take care of the ball in the pocket, and he has to be the one to make good decisions when he’s under pressure. We try to do things that accentuate his strengths. I think he can throw it on all three levels, but there’s a way to play each game against each opponent based on what they have defensively, how their rush is, what their corners look like.”
One offensive coach familiar with Jones believes the former first-round draft pick has the ability to be more than an efficient game-manager, if the Giants ever have the personnel to again allow him to risk making mistakes in exchange for more dynamic plays. Asked if he sees playmaker upside in Jones, Daboll granted a rare analogy to his former pupil, Josh Allen of the Bills.
“I was with him for four years and each year we took a little bit of a step,” Daboll said. “[Jones’] ability to grasp information and then go out there and perform what we’re asking him to do … I think he’s made steps each way.”
No need to deviate from the plan right now, however. Jones completed 21 of 32 passes for 160 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions and rushed 10 times for 35 yards against the Commanders.
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“You can tell this is a quarterback-friendly system where the quarterback is in good position to make good decisions most of the time,” Jones said. “We’re certainly going to be aggressive when we can, but we won the [last] game, and that’s the goal. That’s what we’re focused on.”
Anyone who expected the free-agent-to-be Jones to make the Giants’ decision on his future easy by either exploding or imploding in the biggest game of his career hasn’t paid attention to the formula under Daboll, who also credited quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney.
“We certainly would like more explosive plays, that helps you score more points,” Daboll said, “but he’s doing what we ask him to do.”
The numbers aren’t exciting. The performance was, in a word, decisive. There are no two better examples than his third-and-9 and fourth-and-9 conversions to Richie James on an 18-play, 97-yard touchdown drive.
“I know he’s kind of a quiet guy, but in the huddle he’s a good leader,” Daboll said. “He knows everybody’s responsibilities. He can get things lined up, he can correct mistakes. He’s a problem-solver.”
The Giants have their share of problems to solve. Jones is the third-most sacked quarterback in the NFL. All but 10 of his 43 sacks have been allowed by the interior offensive line — and quarterbacks are most affected by pressure in the face. His top four receivers all are making $1.03 million or less in base salary, which speaks to a lack of demand for their services.
“I think when you protect the ball, that’s a group thing,” Jones said. “We’ve got to be on the same page, a lot of trust in the receivers being in the right spots.”
Except that blame for protecting the ball always fell on Jones’ shoulders, not the group’s. That time is over, like the era of two-hand clocks.
