Troy Aikman: Giants' Daniel Jones can be 'taught' to better protect the football

Well before the New York Giants officially declined the fifth-year option attached to the rookie contract of quarterback Daniel Jones this past spring, turnovers were the major concern hovering over the status of the fourth-year pro. Jones tossed 29 interceptions and lost 20 fumbles in his first 38 career regular-season NFL games, and ESPN's Jordan Raanan notes those numbers are now at 51 turnovers in 40 career matchups. 

Jones was again a roller-coaster ride of ups and downs in his first two contests under first-year head coach and former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll that the Giants won to get to 2-0 ahead of Monday's prime-time showdown with the division-rival Dallas Cowboys (1-1). Pro Football Hall-of-Famer and "Monday Night Football" analyst Troy Aikman explained he believes Daboll can help eliminate what have been Jones' biggest weaknesses since his rookie campaign. 

"I think it is [something that can be taught]," Aikman said about Jones doing better to limit turnovers and about the 25-year-old's pocket presence. "Because when Sam Darnold was coming out in that [2018 draft] class, he was a turnover machine down at USC. And I said [at the time], 'I don't think you can coach accuracy, but I do think you can coach protecting the football. There just has to be an emphasis on it.'"

The numbers indicate Jones was a mixed bag in the victories over the Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers. Per ESPN stats, Jones began Monday eighth among all eligible quarterbacks with a 99.4 passer rating, but he was 27th with a 29.6 total QBR. The Giants were 31st in passing yards on the season and averaging just 159.0 yards through the air per game, and Jones also had a paltry 46 rushing yards with no scores on 16 carries. 

"I think the system brings out a lot of the strengths of our guys," Jones said of Daboll's offense. "Inside the pocket, outside the pocket, making plays with my feet, whether it's a scramble or quarterback-designed run. All that stuff has been good for me, and we'll continue to work on it.

"I think [the system] has a lot of answers built-in to it. Things we've worked on since the spring that we're able to get into quickly. Get us into a good situation depending on what the defense is doing."

If Jones and company defeat the Cowboys, they'll have a realistic chance to begin the season at 4-0 when they host the 2-1 Chicago Bears this coming Sunday afternoon.