23 Sep Daniel Jones Spotlight
Changing Of The Guard
by Andy Singleton (@PeoplezPen)
Brains, and legs. That’s really all it boils down to when comparing the differences between Daniel Jones, and his predecessor Eli Manning. Now, before you read another sentence, just know, this is not a scathing manifesto against Eli. He is virtually a lock to join his brother Peyton as a Hall of Fame inductee. It’s just that sometimes in life, eras overlap, and Eli has continued to show his skills not being a great fit for today’s game. It’s not to say he is no longer smart as a signal caller, but almost to say he is now maybe too smart for his own good. In a word, conservative. Or, gun-shy. Or, fearful. With his impressive, and folklore-like debut, Daniel Jones has effectively driven home the final nail in Manning’s New York Giants career. So let us take a deeper look at why this was the right move, and how this should bring enough excitement to silence the draft day critics of Jones.
A split second longer would have revealed a wide open Saquon Barkley in the flat, with space, and a one-on-one scenario around the first down marker. You are taking the ball out of the hands of the best playmaker in the game, and forcing Benny Fowler to come up with a miracle. Nothing against Fowler, but the smart money is on Saquon. Or take this clip of Eli faced with a 3rd and 10 situation against the Buffalo Bills. Yes, it was 20 yards to the marker, but the defense had their backs to the play, and there was not a single soul in that twenty yard area. Eli has famously shown the ability to avoid a sack, but he has never been much of a runner. That was never his game. But that is exactly where the professional game is now, and what is needed at the Quarterback position. Jones in a 3rd and 5 against the Buccaneers this past Sunday reveals the stark contrast between these two. This play was not a designed run, but he quickly sees that his window is minimal and trusts his legs and ability to attempt to make a play. Move the chains, reset the down, and extend your team’s time on the field.
above, Eli Manning ignoring wide open real estate, while below, Daniel Jones scampers towards the sticks
These may seem like minor examples, but as I said at the beginning, that is really all it boils down to. Hopefully, these quick visuals gave you enough of a glimpse to see what I have in the case of Daniel Jones. Things don’t always have to be so profound! Sometimes, simplicity wins the day. Oh, but what about those glaring inaccuracies you have heard so much about in regards to Daniel Jones? I am here to tell you they are overblown. I said his surrounding talent at Duke was lacking, and in large part it was. Even the most gifted of athletes make mistakes, as evidenced by this drop from Saquon Barkley below. The pass was on target, and should have been translated into six points. These kinks will be ironed out as the players become more accustomed to each other. Already you could see an immediate difference in the aggressiveness of Engram and Shepard. The team is playing with more belief, not to mention more energy. From a non-fantasy perspective, the offense is keeping the Defense fresher. The overall balance of the game should pay immediate dividends for their competitiveness. For fantasy, which is likely why you are here, expect an uptick for all. Evan Engram has had exactly two 100-yard games in his career. The first came this year in Week 1, with Eli, but required 14 targets and 11 receptions to get to 116 yards. With Jones, Engram topped the century mark for the second time, only it came on 8 targets and 6 receptions. This is important to me, because Engram has averaged 7.1 targets per game over his first 28 played. With Jones, he will not need the high volume. Unfortunately, all of this positive energy may have to be put on hold, depending on how long and affected Saquon Barkley is from injury. In the short term, Wayne Gallman figures to be the featured back, and for more on him you can visit Mike Valverde’s post profiling the former Clemson star. In the case of the drop by Barkley, it was followed up on the next play with a TD run from Jones. With Barkley, he undoubtedly has more. But, he already has better talent than ever before, even without Barkley. Daniel Jones is going to be fine. In fact, he is going to be good! It’s about time everyone finally realized it.
Drop a comment below with your thoughts on Daniel Jones. Are you buying?
A jack of all trades in the Fantasy Sports industry, covering football, baseball, and the NFL Draft. Has written, edited, podcasted, and produced over 1,000 videos for his various series, in addition to dozens of guest appearances and collaborative pieces. A top ranker on Fantasy Pros for both Football & Baseball, avid fan of mining for MLB prospects, and former D1 College hoops player, Andy is a native New Yorker, who has served as a firefighter in the FDNY for the past 20 years and counting.