Daniel Jones will remain as the starting quarterback for the New York Giants despite him being benched for Drew Lock in the defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
Jones had struggled in the game as he completed just 14-of-21 passes for just 99 yards before head coach Brian Daboll made the move to bring in Drew Lock. A vast majority of Giants fans had been furious with the team throughout the game, while being frustrated with their own offensive performances, they had to watch their former franchise player suit up for their bitter NFC East rivals and dominate them – with Saquon Barkley rushing for 177 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.
Daboll deciding to bench Jones quickly brought questions for the Giants head coach, with many wondering whether a quarterback change could be permanent – or even whether the team could look toward the trade market.
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But Daboll moved quickly to confirm that Jones will remain as the starting quarterback, explaining his decision to bench Lock in the game.
He told reporters: “Made a change in the fourth quarter when it was 28-3, we had 100 yards, just to create a spark. Daniel will be the quarterback going forward. But obviously we didn’t do enough offensively. Hardly had any yards. No points.”
Jones has struggled largely since being extended to a huge four-year, $160 million deal prior to the 2023 season, with the team openly considering drafting Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye in this past year’s NFL Draft, as could be seen on HBO’s Hard Knocks show.
Saquon Barkley returned to MetLife to rush for 177 yards and a touchdown
The quarterback has thrown just six touchdowns to four interceptions in the Giants’ first seven games this year, with a 2-5 start heading into week 8 and being in danger of another lost season with pressure mounting on the franchise.
Jones has been dealt a tough hand in recent weeks, losing left tackle Andrew Thomas for the season, while being without emerging superstar Malik Nabers for two successive games after he suffered a concussion.
Daboll’s decision to move forward with Jones will not be an overly surprising one, having the team gone all-in on the quarterback financially, while Lock also struggled when stepping in for him – completing just 3-of-8 passes for six yards while fumbling the ball on a Jalyx Hunt sack.
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