NFL: Written off? Giants on the ground after opening disaster

Once again unable to repay the trust placed in him: Giants quarterback Daniel Jones.
IMAGO/ZUMA Press wire

Wearing special jerseys to mark the upcoming 100th anniversary of the New York Giants (founded in 1925), the team took to the field on Sunday to charm the home crowd and their loud fans at MetLife Stadium with successful football.

But already in the third quarter of the duel with the Minnesota Vikings – not the best of this NFL season – videos were circulating of crowds streaming out of the stadium. When the score was 6:28 – later also the final score after a scoreless fourth quarter – masses of fans were already fed up with their team that day. And some of them may no longer be interested in the season.

Memes are doing the rounds on social media depicting another disastrous season. Angry comments also followed. And after the game, when the pros were heading home, Daniel Jones was captured being booed and loudly criticized by some fans. The quarterback is once again the symbol of unsuccessful Giants football, which, apart from the surprising 2022/23 playoff participation including a wild card win against the current opponent from Minnesapolis (31:24) and the divisional exit that followed (7:38 against the Philadelphia Eagles), has been in a deep valley for years.

More pick sixes than touchdown passes

The four-time Super Bowl champion from the “Big Apple” (fourth triumph in 2011/12 with legend Eli Manning) has only reached the finals twice since the last title. For many fans, critics and neutral observers, this is closely linked to Jones.

The 27-year-old first-round pick from 2019 (6th place) has never been able to put his stamp on the franchise despite high hopes placed in him. Especially not after his expensive contract extension in March 2023. Since then, Jones has only played seven games due to injuries, recorded just two (!) passing touchdowns and on top of that made eight (!) interceptions – including three (!) pick sixes. This also means that the playmaker has thrown more “touchdown passes” to the opponent than to his own teammates. The height of negativity.

Criticism of the criticism

On Sunday against the Vikings, he only completed 22 of 42 attempted passes – for a meager 186 yards, no TDs and two interceptions. This includes the third pick six of the horror statistics just listed.

With Jones as a starter, the Giants have lost seven of the last eight games – and are remaining loyal to him for the moment. Just as they strengthened him in the offseason, kept him and did not, for example, replace him with a rookie quarterback as many had demanded. Head coach Brian Daboll (in office since 2022) has now said that he is not thinking about replacing his protégé directly after this Week 1 performance.

Jones himself commented on the heavy opening defeat to the US media as follows: “It is our job to give them (the fans; Editor’s note:) something to be happy about. We take that seriously. They want us to play well. We want us to play well.” But that went completely wrong in week 1, even the often-criticized head coach Daboll had to admit: “We can do everything better – and that starts with me.” As a coach, it is my job to lead the team to victory.

The fact that quarterback Jones was booed and loudly criticized after the game was a step too far for some of his “G-Men” and teammates. First and foremost, offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, who X wrote. In his view, such behavior is “shitty. As someone who has struggled with depression and a lack of self-confidence, and still does, this has to stop. It’s okay to be angry as a fan, but to come to the players’ exit and behave like that is inhumane.”