Stats show where Daniel Jones is failing Giants this season

During the preseason, New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll revealed that he wanted quarterback Daniel Jones to "push the ball down the field" early and often during games this season. 

Jones, thus far, hasn't shown he can execute that part of Daboll's offense.

SNY's Phillip Martinez shared that Jones completed just 2-of-7 pass attempts on throws of 20 yards or more in Thursday's frustrating 20-15 home loss to the Dallas Cowboys that dropped the Giants to 1-3 on the campaign. Martinez added that Jones has gone 4-for-16 on those passes since Week 1. 

Jones isn't to blame for what occurred at MetLife Stadium on Thursday alone. He completed 29-of-39 passes for 281 yards before he tossed a last-second Hail Mary that was intercepted. As Bryan Murphy of Sporting News pointed out, multiple receivers betrayed Jones by dropping catchable throws versus the Cowboys. Additionally, the Giants accumulated a paltry 26 yards on the ground against what was the NFL's worst run defense.

With all that said, Pro Football Reference shows that Jones began Friday ranked 26th in the NFL among qualified players with an average of 6.1 yards gained per pass attempt and 22nd with a 41.8% passing success rate this season. Such numbers aren't good enough for somebody trying to salvage his Giants career. 

Jones is still working to return to full fitness after the torn ACL he suffered on Nov. 5 of last year. However, if the worrisome neck injuries he's dealt with since the fall of 2021 are somehow affecting his arm strength, who he was on Thursday night might just be who he is at this point in his career. 

"I'll look at it and see where we can improve," Jones responded when asked after the loss to Dallas if "something mechanically" is causing him to underthrow receivers on deep passes, per the Giants' website. "I thought, for the most part, we moved the ball well in the pass game and maybe we didn't hit a 30-yarder, but we hit 15-, 20-yarders and moved it well. So, I'll look at where I can improve on those down-the-field opportunities."

It's no secret the Giants could soon bench a medically cleared Jones to keep him healthy and then release him during the upcoming offseason. Jones, rather than primary backup Drew Lock or QB3 Tommy DeVito, likely gives the Giants the best chance to win at the Seattle Seahawks (3-0) on Oct. 6, but Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen may have to start thinking about the franchise's future if Big Blue falls to 1-4 on the season.