EAST RUTHERFORD – Sunday in Las Vegas will mark Daniel Jones’ comeback to the starting lineup.
The quarterback for the New York Giants has experienced a kind of reset during his three-game absence, something he never requested and most definitely never desired.
“You want to be on the field mentally. After practice on Wednesday, Jones remarked, “You want to be playing, you want to be getting ready to play,” at his locker.
“I don’t really view it that way [that taking a break is beneficial]. Though you should definitely try to take advantage of some of the recovery opportunities, physically, I believe you want to be on the field too. However, your emotional state is one of wanting to be there, on the field.”
That’s another story. Is it true that Jones needed that break from what had developed into a grind, a punishment he had to endure every week that had seemingly turned his own game inside out?
And here’s the thing: the Giants’ present position in the standings makes no sense, even as Jones prepares to play against Antonio Pierce’s Raiders. Yes, you read it right.
It doesn’t really matter; one might argue that after suffering a crushing 13-10 overtime loss to the Jets last Sunday, Big Blue has every right to feel that it should be riding a three-game winning streak at the moment, not 2-6 and in last place in the NFC East.
Whether you like it or not, there is a larger narrative for this team that starts on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.
That narrative is no less evident than the disillusionment and annoyance felt by many at the halfway mark of Brian Daboll’s second season.
Thanks in part to those conditions, his own inconsistent play—albeit against elite competition—and the NFL’s annual requirement for an honest assessment of every position—of which quarterback is the most crucial—Daniel Jones may find himself playing for his Giants’ future once more.
If the season ended today, the Giants would select No. 3 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft as a result of their problems.
Naturally, it doesn’t, and there are still games remaining on the schedule that can be won. However, there is always a procedure in place to assess college possibilities.
quarterback selections early in the NFL Draft
Every weekend, the best quarterbacks in the country—Caleb Williams of USC, Drake Maye of North Carolina, J.J. McCarthy of Michigan, and Shedeur Sanders of Colorado, to mention a few—are scrutinized.
