Giants HC Reveals Daniel Jones’ Status for Week 9 vs. Commanders

Brian Daboll isn’t ready to change his starting quarterback yet, confirming Daniels Jones will continue to start for the New York Giants against the Washington Commanders in Week 9.

Daboll made the claim shortly after Jones threw a game-sealing interception against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football. The Giants were beaten 26-18 at Heinz Field, and many observers are calling for Jones to benched.

Those voices aren’t swaying Daboll, though. He confirmed Jones will remain QB1 against Washington at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, November 3, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.

It’s another huge roll of the dice for a Giants regime increasingly undermined by struggles at football’s most important position. Jones has hardly been helped by a suspect offensive line, but he’s also missing too many throws and making mistakes in key moments.

Noise Growing for Giants to Bench Daniel Jones

A former quarterback no less an authority than three-time Super Bowl winner Troy Aikman believe Jones has fundamental flaws the Giants can no loner countenance. Aikman pinpointed Jones’ biggest issue while commentating for ESPN during the MNF broadcast.

He explained how Jones “needs to see it before he throws it. Basically, he cannot read a defense or anticipate. Undeniably his biggest fault as a QB. None of his various HCs/OCs have been able to fix that,” per SNY.tv’s Connor Hughes.

Field vision and anticipation have been career-long issues for Jones. It means the Giants miss big plays through the air, while hesitancy in the pocket can also lead to turnovers.

Many are unconvinced Jones will ever develop a decisive streak. Including ex-New England Patriots Super Bowl winner Logan Ryan.

Read More From Heavy

Giants Part Ways With 2023 Draft Pick Following Week 8: Report

He told CBS Sports, “I wanna see Daniel Jones let it loose… We know he can be efficient as a passer, his completion percentage will be decent, but he doesn’t take enough shots, he doesn’t make the plays that go win you the games, and when you’re paying a guy $40 million, you can’t pay him to be a game-manager.”

Ryan thinks Jones’ time is up at the end of the season. That looks increasingly likely, but Daboll also looks content to see out the rest of the campaign with No. 8 in the lineup.

Brian Daboll Resisting Change, Unlike Commanders

Daboll’s fidelity to Jones is curious since the coach benched his signal-caller late during Week 7’s 28-3 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles. Jones was soon declared safe going forward, but updating his quarterback’s status is becoming a weekly chore for Daboll.

It all stems from the decision to reward Jones for a career year in 2022. He got a bumper payday after leading the Giants to the postseason and a playoff win, but it looks increasingly as though that season was an outlier.

The overarching story of Jones’ career has been mistake-prone performances sprinkled around several injury layoffs. His inability to take the next step continues to hold the Giants back, despite talent elsewhere on the roster.

Big Blue’s reality is in sharp contrast to the Commanders, who are 6-2 behind the dual-threat talents of rookie signal-caller Jayden Daniels. Daboll was willing to trade up for Daniels, but general manager Joe Schoen doubled down on the investment in Jones.

That decision is why the Commanders are already early favorites to sweep the season’s series against their NFC East rivals, according to ESPNBet (h/t Raanan), who noted this “will be the 24th straight game the Giants are underdogs.”

Regular underdog status has been earned when mistakes from the on-field leader of the team, not to mention those off it, continue to haunt the Giants.