One can safely say the way second-year quarterback Daniel Jones goes this season, so go the New York Giants. In order for the Giants to turn things around, they are going to need Jones to simply play better. That sounds silly but when you think about it, it really isn’t.
Here’s three quick ways he can accomplish that this year.
Stay healthy
Duh. Deion Sanders always said, ‘you can’t help the club from the tub’ and no truer words have ever been spoken. Jones suffered an ankle sprain that cost him two games and took the wind out of his sails a bit. His mobility is a big part of his football personality and he needs his legs to be fully functional in order to round out his game. The Giants need a steady presence in the locker room and the huddle, so Jones has to protect himself better and learn to live to play another day.
Reduce the turnovers
That being said, Jones has to get the notion that he has to win games all by himself. Last season, he forced too many passes and ran into trouble instead of simply giving himself up and avoiding it. He has to be more mindful of the speed of NFL defenses is daunting. The passing windows are narrower, too. That will come with experience, but the Giants need Jones to learn fast if they are going to be competitive. He took them out of too many games last season by coughing up the football.
Learn how to lead
Jones had the unenviable task of filling Eli Manning’s shoes. Not that Manning was the ultimate vocal leader, but he was a stalwart that the rest of the team respected revered. Jones, surrounded by a new coaching staff and a glut of new players, has to earn and build respect from his teammates. He can do that by performing well, but he’ll need to do more. He has to inject himself into a leadership role, take this team by the scruff of the neck and make it his own.
