As someone who’s quite familiar with the competition in the NFC East, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson has a lot of respect for New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones.
With the Giants visiting Jacksonville on October 23, Pederson spoke with the New York media on October 19 and shared his thoughts on Jones.
Via Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News:
Jaguars HC Doug Pederson, the 1st opposing coach to do a road conference call with us this season: “You don’t go to sleep on Daniel Jones.” And says taking care of the ball is the “key to the kingdom” for quarterbacks.
“You don’t go to sleep on Daniel Jones,” Pederson said.
Pederson mentioned that protecting the football is the “key to the kingdom” when it comes to playing quarterback, according to Leonard’s tweet, and that’s one thing Jones has done well this season. He has only two interceptions in 2022 and hasn’t thrown any during New York’s current three-game winning streak. Jones has been picked on just 1.3% of his pass attempts this year, which ranks sixth best in the NFL.
Jones has also cut down on the fumbles with just two so far in Year 4. The first one came in Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans, and the second one came against the Baltimore Ravens on October 16. The second one did not hurt the Giants because it was the result of a busted Hail Mary attempt as time expired in the first half.
Jones’ passing stats may not be eye-popping, but his improved ball security is a big reason why the Giants have a 5-1 record heading into Week 7 against the Jags.
ESPN Reporters Not Sold on Daniel Jones as New York’s Future
Although Jones has showed a lot of improvement in his first season under Giants head coach Brian Daboll, he has not yet established himself as the future of the franchise. A pair of ESPN reporters, Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler, said they agreed that Jones would not be with the team in 2023.
“I think the temptation for GM Joe Schoen to restart the contract clock with a young quarterback is going to be too great to convince him to re-sign Jones unless it’s on a really cheap deal,” Graziano wrote for ESPN on October 19. ” And even then, it might be best for all involved to just move on.”
While Graziano took a fairly hard-lined stance, Fowler allowed for some wiggle room in his prediction.
“Now, signing Jones to a bridge-quarterback deal, similar to the two-year pact Jameis Winston got with New Orleans, could make some sense as a way to reward Jones’ winning ways while planning for life without him,” Fowler wrote for ESPN. “But he might not go for that.”
Many in the media see current backup Tyrod Taylor — not Jones — as New York’s bridge quarterback, after the Giants signed him to a two-year, $11 million deal this offseason.
Jones, 25, is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in the spring.
Giants Are Underdogs Again vs. 2-4 Jaguars
The Giants have been underdogs in every game except for one this season (Week 4 vs. Chicago), and not much is changing in Week 7. Despite their 5-1 record, the Giants are three-point underdogs on the road against the Jaguars this Sunday.
While New York has thrived in the underdog role, this feels like a game they should win. The NFL oddsmakers in Las Vegas must perceive this matchup differently.
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Jaguars Head Coach Delivers Warning on Giants QB Daniel Jones