The Seattle Seahawks knew what was coming from Daniel Jones during Week 4’s 24-3 win over the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on Monday Night Football.
That’s according to Seattle’s rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon, who made this telling admission about Giants quarterback Jones to NFL Network’s Judy Batista after the game: “We knew he liked to stare down his first target.”
With Devon Witherspoon, who had two sacks and a pick 6. Not a bad night.
Witherspoon had a 97-yard pick six of Jones to ice the ball game in the third quarter. The first-year defensive back also got to Jones for two of the Seahawks’ 11 sacks.
Witherspoon’s reference to Batista about how Jones “had his back turned” helped explain how the Seahawks were able to get home with pressure from the blindside so often.
The opposition knowing so much about how Jones sets up to attack is bad news for the Giants. It means head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka must break tendencies and design new concepts to force defenses to play guessing games.
If they can’t, Jones and a stuttering offense will endure more miserable nights like the one against Witherspoon and Co.
Daniel Jones’ Bad Habit Proved Costly in Key Moment
Witherspoon’s theft of Jones’ end zone-bound throw in the third period swung the game permanently away from the Giants. On the play, it certainly appeared as if Jones had stared down his first read, wide receiver Parris Campbell.
In doing so, Big Blue’s QB1 missed tight end Darren Waller seemingly open behind the traffic. The view from the end zone, highlighted by “Blueshirt Blueprint Podcast” host Will, shows Waller (12) working his way open, but Jones has already released the ball after staring down Campbell underneath, precisely where Witherspoon was waiting to pounce.
An end zone view from Witherspoon’s pick-6.
Look who is wide open in the end zone, Darren Waller. Yet Jones makes one read to Campbell, and then throws it behind him.
This ended up costing the Giants six and a shot at the game
It was a curious decision from Jones, one that prompted what Will Brinson of CBS Sports dubbed a “pretty reasonable response” from head coach Brian Daboll.
Pretty reasonable reaction from Brian Daboll
Frustration appeared to boil over when Daboll continued to question Jones about the play on the sideline. Although the coach attempted to explain and downplay the exchange, Jones’ gaffe sums up a quarterback who is struggling mightily to carry the load offensively.
Those struggles weren’t isolated to Witherspoon’s decisive interception. Jones missed open targets more than once, including when he had wideout Wan’Dale Robinson open deep, only to hold the ball for too long, per SNY.tv’s Connor Hughes.
Wan’Dale Robinson was wide open. He was literally jumping up & down in the secondary trying to get Daniel Jones attention.
Granted, Robinson is 5-8, so even while jumping, not the easiest guy to see.
Jones didn’t. Held it until throwing it away.
#Giants punt.
Missed connections like these are why the Giants still can’t generate big plays through the air. They are also why so many question the wisdom of paying Jones $40 million annually for the next four years.
The contract is an inescapable talking point, but so is Jones being under siege behind a sieve-like offensive line.
Daniel Jones Carrying Too Much of a Burden
While he might have a tendency to laser-focus on his first option, Jones hardly has time to even glance at other reads. Not when he’s been sacked 18 times through two home games, passing a tally previously surrendered by the New York Jets in 1987, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, citing ESPN Stats & Info.
Jones is being destroyed by the constant pressure because a line missing left tackle Andrew Thomas can’t win one-on-one matchups, nor contain the blitz. Teams know this and are sending pressure behind an unsuspecting Jones.
It happened when Witherspoon blitzed untouched from the blindside to register the first of his two sacks.
Devon Witherspoon blitzes for his first career sack!
📺: #SEAvsNYG on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus t.co/3ctCY8GbRh
The same blitz had narrowly failed to work earlier when safety Jamal Adams rushed the same edge. It became an ongoing problem as Thomas’ replacement, converted guard Joshua Ezeudu, struggled to pick up rushers.
Unfortunately for Jones, the cumulative effect of all the pressure made him hesitate in the pocket. His timidity led to more missed connections, like this one when Jones had a chance for a quick-hitter to Campbell running a crossing route, highlighted by Bobby Skinner of Talkin’ Giants.
There’s no one cause for the Giants’ malaise. Jones and his easy-to-decipher tendencies aren’t solely to blame. Nor are the increasingly hazardous performances of those blocking for him.
The two things are combining to create a destructive spiral last season’s Cinderella team already looks ill-equipped to escape.
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Seahawks Rookie Calls Out Daniel Jones’ Biggest Weakness After Giants Loss