Defensive coach rips Giants' Daniel Jones amid struggles

At least one unnamed defensive coach believes a terrible offensive line isn't the only reason New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones failed to produce positive results over the season's first four games. 

"It’s very noticeable how little they make him play like an NFL quarterback," the coach said about Jones during a chat with NFL senior writer Mike Sando of The Athletic. "He has the easiest reads and the easiest concepts, and still he does not throw the ball accurately. He doesn’t throw to the correct leverage, doesn’t throw the receivers open, just doesn’t do it. I’m giving you zero opinions. This is all the tape shows." 

ESPN stats show that the Giants began Thursday averaging a league-worst 11.5 points per game and that Jones ended Week 4 ranked 27th in the NFL among qualified players with a 37.0 adjusted QBR on the season. The 26-year-old who signed a four-year contract in March reportedly worth up to $160M has thus far recorded six interceptions to go along with two passing touchdowns and a rushing score for the 1-3 Giants. 

"They played simple offense last year, and the guy made simple plays, but here is the issue," the defensive coach said about Jones guiding the 2022 Giants to the postseason and to a road playoff victory. "This year, simple is not good enough. The boot pass will never be enough to get you back into the game. It’s like last year they hid the secret somehow and maybe he showed flashes of improvement. It looks bad now." 

Star running back Saquon Barkley missed New York's last two defeats with an ankle injury but could return for this Sunday's game at the 3-1 Miami Dolphins. As of Thursday afternoon, OddsChecker listed the Giants as massive underdogs (+480, +11) for that contest. 

The Giants likely are stuck with Jones' contract through at least the 2024 season but theoretically could afford to draft a star signal-caller such as Caleb Williams of the USC Trojans next spring if the current campaign completely goes up in flames. Regardless of the deal he signed roughly seven months ago, Jones finds himself spending a second-consecutive fall playing for his future with the club that drafted him in 2019.