Is the Daniel Jones Breakout Already Happening?

No more excuses, they said. It’s a make-or-break season, they said. Time to get it done, they said. All manner of cliches, sayings, and phrases were uttered by dozens of talking heads this offseason, all meant to convey one simple message: New York Giants’ third-year quarterback Daniel Jones must play well this season, or else the team may have no choice but to find his replacement.

Well, two games into this all-important season, and Jones is showing signs of real improvement. Despite the team’s 0-2 start, Jones’ overall performance has been a bright spot. He’s on pace for career bests across multiple statistical categories. However, he’s also made critical mistakes that have cost the Giants in both games. So, is Daniel Jones poised to have the breakout season he needs? Or is he still the same frustratingly disappointing quarterback he’s been for most of his career?

For those that want to say Jones is on the verge of a star-making season, they have the numbers on their side. The Duke product is currently holding career bests in completion percentage (63.8%), yards per attempt (7.5), and quarterback rating (96.0). He’s also averaging 258 passing yards per game. Jones’ increased efficiency combined with his increased raw production shows he is clearly performing above his previous baseline. If he can maintain these numbers all year, he’ll have done more than enough to earn his starting spot for 2022.

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But as solid as those numbers are, they’re not great, either. Josh Allen, the ultimate example of a quarterback flourishing in his third year, had far superior stats in his breakout campaign last season. Jones will save his job if he keeps up his current pace, but it won’t elevate him into the territory of the best young quarterbacks. Perhaps more importantly, it won’t elevate the Giants to contender status the way Allen’s play elevated the Buffalo Bills last year. If Jones can’t cross the threshold from good to great, it would reinforce the notion that his ceiling isn’t high enough to justify a long-term investment.

Jones hasn’t yet removed all the flies from the ointment, either. While he hasn’t thrown an interception, his fumble against the Denver Broncos in Week 1 deflated the Giants’ comeback effort. Against Washington in Week 2, a couple misplaced passes in the second half cost the Giants critical points in a tightly contested game.

A two-game sample size is far too small to draw any conclusion. If we want to say it’s too early to count the Giants out after an 0-2 start, then it’s also too early to call Jones a franchise quarterback. But the 2019 sixth-overall pick could very well be in the early stages of a breakout season. His statistical output so far indicates that he is, especially if you build in continued improvement as the year progresses.

You can’t blame Giants fans for skepticism after four straight years of losing, but Jones’ improvements this season are worth getting excited about.

– Ryan Cuneo is the Managing Editor of Full Press Giants. He covers the New York Giants. Like and follow on Follow @ryan_cuneo Follow @FullPressGiants and Facebook.