This duo must remain good friends despite the lack of on-the-field results.
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones made an appearance at Jason Garrett’s Starfish Charities Football Camp on June 18th. The 20th annual edition of the event was held in Princeton, New Jersey. The Starfish Charities website describes the event as “a 1-day free, non-contact football camp at Princeton University. Area high school student-athletes from New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania are coached by Jason Garrett, current and former NFL players and coaches, and college and area high school coaches. There are on-field practices and games as well as a life-skills component that emphasizes the importance of making good choices both on and off the field.”
Jason Garrett, who recently agreed to join NBC’s Football Night in America program, spent two seasons with Jones as the Giants’ offensive coordinator for the entire 2020 season and most of the 2021 season. He was fired on November 23rd, ending a dreadful tenure with Jones and company. During Garrett’s time with New York, the team ranked dead last in touchdowns scored. It was Garrett’s first football job since being fired from Dallas, where he spent more than nine seasons as head coach of the Cowboys. His 85 wins as Cowboys head coach rank as the second-most in franchise history. Following his exit from New York, the 56-year-old joined NBC in an analyst role for the network’s USFL coverage before landing the previously mentioned showcase gig on the Sunday night pregame show.
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Daniel Jones, meanwhile, is getting set for a pivotal season with the Giants. After the club declined to pick up Jones’ fifth-year option, the 25-year-old is set to become a free agent after this season. Jones’ biggest issue remains turnovers, as his inability to keep control of the ball hasn’t improved much since his league-leading 19 fumbles in his rookie season. Should results not see improvements, the Duke alumni could see himself out of a job with Big Blue.
New OC Aims To Help Jones
Heading into Jones’ make-or-break, the Giants cleaned house as they hired a new GM in Joe Schoen, who in turn hired a new head coach in Brian Daboll. Daboll brought along Mike Kafka as the team’s new offensive coordinator and Kafka has quickly formed a bond with Jones. In an interview with Ted Nguyen for The Athletic, Kafka discussed his efforts to help the quarterback improve. “We watched all the fumbles and all the turnovers from Daniel and had an honest and open conversation about it. He understands what he needs to improve on in those certain situations,” Kafka explained. “Then we go in with a plan as coaches. We have a plan that we go and work in practice. You see Coach (Shea) Tierney drilling that stuff every single day about the ball security, about his position in the pocket and where he fits, and the timing and the rhythm that you got to play with as a quarterback.”
Jones’ Receivers Must Step Up
While much has been made of Daniel Jones’ struggles with turnovers, a closer look at the numbers suggests the responsibility doesn’t all lie with him. Pro Football Focus broke down which quarterbacks were most hurt by receivers dropping passes, with Jones ranking third. As the article points out, injuries to Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney significantly hindered New York’s air game, which puts all the more focus on health as a primary factor in success for the upcoming season.
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Giants QB Daniel Jones Makes Appearance At Former OC Jason Garrett’s Football Camp