By Michael Stewart/@golferbad
Introduction: Daniel Jones rookie season was very impressive in 2019 when you consider all the obstacles he had to endure in his 12 starts. Of course the biggest minus on Jones resume was his lack of ball security (18 total fumbles/15 lost), however; although this was most evident, I believe this will be corrected as he enters his second year in the NFL. Jones threw for over 3000 yards and had a 2 to 1 touchdown/interception ratio without the luxury of his top receiving group (Tate, Shepard & Engram) playing only 30% of his starts. Also, throw in the fact that running back Saquon Barkley missed a quarter of Jones starts as well. The fact that Jones produced these types of numbers without these players for roughly four of his 12 starts makes his rookie season even more impressive. The decision to hire Jason Garrett as the new Offensive Coordinator for the Giants was mostly met with mixed emotions. However; when you look at Garrett’s offensive philosophies and the way the quarterback position needs to function in his system in order for it to be successful; the collaboration between Garrett and Jones should be a match made in heaven.
Jones actually reached out to former Dallas Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo for some insight into Garrett’s offensive philosophy as Garrett became the Cowboys offensive Coordinator the same year Romo became the starter. Aside from Garrett, Romo is arguably the most knowledgeable player who knows his system inside and out and Romo didn’t hesitate at all in sharing his insights as both parties plan on continuing their discussions throughout training camp. Another helpful participant for Jones is newly acquired quarterback Cooper Rush who has been providing Jones with information daily. All this information gathered by Jones prior to the start of training camp, along with the countless hours of studying the playbook as well will definitely give Jones an advantage once training camp starts. Garrett’s system is completely different from the one Pat Shurmur implemented in 2019 and Jones understands that the overall verbiage between the two offensive systems will be totally different and getting a head start is vital in his success in 2020. Garrett’s system enabled the Cowboys to lead the league in yards per game as Prescott threw for slightly over 4900 yards and running back Ezekiel Elliott ran for 1357 yards. Head Coach Joe Judge describes Garrett’s offense as a compilation of all systems Garrett has played and coached piled into one and it shouldn’t be considered a true west coast offense.
Final Thoughts: I have no doubt that Jones has the mental makeup to absorb and excel in this system. If Jones can have his core of offensive weapons stay healthy for the most part in 2020, Giant fans are going to see Daniel Jones overall game elevate and the Giants won’t need to look for their next franchise quarterback for a long time. 2020 will be a very vital season for Jones and Garrett to establish a solid relationship as the Giants new Offensive Coordinator could only be with the team in 2020, as he could be sort after by other teams once Head Coaching vacancy’s become available. For now, Garrett is the Giants OC and if remains here for the next couple of years; it’s not a stretch to project that before Jones rookie contract is up, he will be one of the Top 5 quarterbacks in the NFL.