Giants unlocked a new version of Daniel Jones against Cardinals, and must keep letting him sling it
The Giants were outscored 60-0 by their opposition for the first six quarters of the 2023 season, the second-most points allowed before scoring to begin a season since the 1970 merger, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Big Blue then flipped a switch in the second half in Arizona, outscoring the Cardinals 31-7 en route to a desperately needed comeback win.
The catalyst of that second-half comeback was Daniel Jones. He was dominant for the game's final two quarters, completing 17 of his 21 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 58 yards and a touchdown.
The Giants offense has played relatively conservatively under Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, but opened it up in the second half, primarily because of the 20-0 halftime deficit.
On the first play of the third quarter, Jones completed his first deep ball of the season -- a 58-yard bomb to rookie speedster Jalin Hyatt, setting the tone for the second half. Jones slung the ball all over the yard after that.
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Jones averaged 9.8 air yards per attempt, which is 1.4 more yards per attempt than any other game under Daboll. Last season, Jones averaged just 6.3 air yards per attempt, the lowest among NFL starting quarterbacks.
The Giants offense has been one-dimensional and predictable for much of Jones' tenure, with them often running the ball on earlier downs while looking to complete short passes on third downs.
That philosophy failed, allowing defenses to stack the box and selling out to stop the run, as there was no threat of a downfield pass attack.
What Jones showed Sunday is that this Giants offense has many dimensions. They can effectively run the ball with Jones or Saquon Barkley, and can also complete short and long passes.
After signing Jones to a four-year, $160 million contract this offseason, the front office signaled that they had immense confidence in their quarterback and that they believed he was good enough to win the franchise their fifth Super Bowl.
His second-half performance backed up the front office's belief. Per Opta Stats, Jones became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 250+ yards, rush for 50+ yards, run for a touchdown, throw multiple passing touchdowns, and have no turnovers in the second half of a game.
Jones proved that he is more than capable of making every throw on the field, especially when given time to operate. The quarterback was pressured on just 23 percent of his dropbacks Sunday, a stark difference from the 55 percent rate he dealt with against Dallas.
Jones played like a star in the second half, and should have the coaching staff's complete trust moving forward.
The Giants need to keep the playbook open for him at all times, not just when the team trails by double-digits. They have given him a litany of weapons: Hyatt, Darren Waller, Darius Slayton, Parris Campbell Jr., and Sterling Shepard. The coaching staff needs to sit back and let Jones utilize those weapons.
