As the New York Giants fire offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, questions persist whether the Giants offense is a product of Garrett failing Daniel Jones.
On Monday night, the Giants were dealt a 10-30 blow at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Less than 24 hours later, Jason Garrett was dealt another, being sacked as the Giants’ offensive coordinator.
The frustration with Garrett was felt long enough. The former Dallas Cowboys head coach led his team to the playoffs three times, but never past the Divisional round. Unable to close with some of the greatest players in football, Garrett was shipped to the Giants, where he began under head coach Joe Judge. Garrett undertook the task of developing 2019 draftee Daniel Jones, but seemingly to no avail.
This year, Jones has failed to lead the Giants beyond three wins, and his quarterback stats have been pedestrian. Outside of an outlier against New Orleans in Week 4, Jones hasn’t thrown over 270 yards all year.
Nine touchdowns to seven interceptions is costly, as the production on offense can’t compensate for game-altering turnovers. Even in the Bucs game, the Giants kept it relatively close until halftime with a score of 17-10. The Bucs pulled away from the Jones as New York’s offense remained scoreless in the second half.
Giants fans are reacting to the Garrett news as if a coaching change will do little at the moment, and truthfully, the Giants’ problems run deeper than Garrett’s gameplan. The offensive line has significant issues as pass rushers permeate the line.
Jones’ decision-making certainly hasn’t helped, as the Giants quarterback has only had a passer rating above 100 three times this season. Jones frequently scrambles outside of the pocket for small gains, and he hasn’t scored more than two touchdowns in a game all season. The Giants take the field and pass until eventually punting on downs, and Jones hasn’t proven capable of being a closer.
What Jason Garrett firing means for Daniel Jones
While environment is crucial for developing a young quarterback, it’s difficult to imagine Jones finding remarkable success at any point in the Giants system. “Danny Dimes” has proven big-play ability, but so has every other starting-caliber NFL quarterback.
What matters is consistency and the fortitude to win games, and the Giants have had neither. The offense racks up empty yards without points, and Jones cannot score enough to keep up. The Giants scored 29 and 25 points in two different games, but Jones only scored one touchdown in each of these games.
The offensive line protections are something Jones is supposed to set on each play, not Garrett. Jones is the one on the field, and even though he’s young, he should be able to make reads and remain in the pocket instead of scrambling on broken plays.
The OC must design ideal plays, but ultimately, it’s a quarterback’s job to execute. With Jones and the players at his disposal, the Giants seem destined to lose until more drastic changes are made.