New York Giants: Stock report heading into Week 3
The Daniel Jones era has begun for the New York Giants as they prepare for Sunday’s contest against Tampa Bay. Here is Big Blue’s current stock report.
The New York Giants have finally turned the page. The Eli Manning era is over and it’s time to welcome a new sheriff in town: rookie signal-caller Daniel Jones. He’ll make the initial start of his NFL career on Sunday afternoon against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3.
Change at quarterback has been brewing since the moment the Giants selected Jones with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Now that time is here and we’ll see what the rookie quarterback is capable of.
With that being said, let’s take a look at Big Blue’s stock report heading into that battle against Tampa Bay on the road.
Stock Up
Daniel Jones: The rookie from Duke was not drafted sixth overall to sit on the bench for too long. His stock immediately soars due to the fact that he went from holding a clipboard to starting under center on Sunday. Is he ready?
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Jones needs to accomplish three things this season: 1. he must be an accurate passer, 2. he must prove that he can read NFL defenses and audible at the line (Omaha!) when necessary and 3. he has to show that he can command a huddle and be a true leader. Easier said than done, right?
As with all rookie quarterbacks, there will be growing pains. Peyton Manning and Brett Favre, among others, struggled early in their careers. Jones gives the G-Men a dimension of having more mobility than Eli had, so look for more rollouts and quick sprint tosses moving forward.
There will be pressure on Jones to make this all work out. Giants fans need to be patient. This was the right move to make at the right time.
Pat Shurmur: Why the struggling Giants head coach, who owns a dismal career mark of 15-36 in the NFL? Shurmur quickly escaped a bear market for a bull market because he now gets additional time to turn things around. Instead of concentrating on the team’s win-loss record, this season will be all about acclimating a rookie quarterback to the rigors of the NFL.
How many wins Big Blue gets this year doesn’t matter now. Developing Jones is all that matters. That buys the 54-year old Shurmur more time. It’s as simple as that. Next season will be a different story, though. The G-Men will have to win in 2020 — no excuses.
Stock Down
Eli Manning: The future Hall of Famer knew this day would eventually come the second Jones was selected in late April. There is a chance that Manning could play again this season. Jones could get injured. Jones could be overwhelmed and the Giants brain trust could decide to sit him down for a couple of games to watch and learn.
However, for all intents and purposes, we’ve seen the last of Manning in a starting role. He goes down as probably the greatest quarterback in team history.
Giants defense: I can’t single any specific player out because the entire group has been terrible — simply awful. They’ve allowed 63 points in two games and rank 26th in the league in yards from scrimmage allowed (441.0 per game). Their secondary is horrific, allowing 321 yards per contest so far, which ranks 28th in the NFL.
Next. 20 Bold predictions for NFL Week 3. dark
Defense coordinator James Bettcher is under a lot of heat to start turning things around, quickly. I believe the turnaround begins Sunday against a very turnover-prone Jameis Winston and the brutal Bucs.