We’re halfway through the preseason, and the hype surrounding Daniel Jones continues to build.
The New York Giants rookie passer has dazzled while taking his first snaps in the NFL. It’s just the kind of start Giants management wanted from the Duke product after surprisingly taking him with the sixth pick of the 2019 draft.
In two games, the 22-year-old has been nearly perfect, completing 16-of-19 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns.
He’s headlined an exhibition slate that has belonged to the reserve quarterbacks as Alex Tanney and Kyle Lauletta have helped share a bulk of the playing time.
Eli Manning has attempted just five passes this summer as he’s poised to start under center for a 16th-straight season. No need for the team to risk injury on the 38-year-old whose game has largely remained unchanged over the past five years.
Head coach Pat Shurmur’s offense has been predicated on the young, phenomenal running back in Saquon Barkley, who has quickly developed into one of the best dual-threat backs in football.
His breakout rookie season last year was a godsend for Manning, who was constantly under duress behind a subpar offensive line.
Constant pressure forced Manning to get the ball out of his hands quickly, limiting the offense to a dink-and-dump system that didn’t fully utilize the talents of Odell Beckham Jr.
Now in 2019, the offensive line has received a boost with the additions of Kevin Zeitler and Mike Remmers. But the wide-receiving corps has plenty of question marks amidst injuries, suspensions, and the trading of Beckham.
While he’s projected to have more time in the pocket this year, the gameplan for Manning — and the rest of the Giants quarterbacks — remains largely unchanged from 2018.
Shurmur’s offense has featured his quarterbacks attempting short, low-risk passes to get the offense moving.
When performed quickly, it’s a lethal way to wear out an opposing defense. However, it’s not conducive to playing while behind.
It’s also not the kind of offensive scheme that can fully display Jones’ arm.
But it’s safe for a team that will soon hang its hopes on a rookie quarterback while trying not to show the league too much of its hand before the regular season.
This can all be tweaked if (or when) Jones given the reins to the offense, but so far it’s provided promising returns.
Each of the four Giants quarterbacks this summer has completed at least 64-percent of their passes. One interception in a combined 67 pass attempts is also plenty promising.
The chances of turnovers decrease exponentially though when a team is averaging just 9.6 yards per pass attempt.
This gameplan obviously won’t be Pat Shurmur’s go-to strategy come the regular season, but it will be similar.
Expect the same kind of low-risk short passes with a heavy dose of Barkley this season, regardless of who is under center.
