The New York Giants are 1-3 following a shaky start to the regular season including their most recent primetime loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night. Amidst the team’s struggles has been the inconsistent play of starting quarterback Daniel Jones.
With Jones now in his sixth season as the Giants’ starter, some fans have had enough of the inconsistencies and disappointing primetime performances. Franchise legend running back Tikit Barber seems to be among those who are fed up.
Giants legend Tiki Barber declares Daniel Jones is “not that guy”
While Jones played good enough on Thursday night, going 29-of-40 passing for 281 yards, he failed to capitalize on the moments that, to Barber and many of the fans, matter most. Those moments being explosive-play and clutch opportunities.
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Football is a game of inches and a game decided by a few key moments. Jones has been failing to deliver in those moments, as Barber highlighted:
“When everybody is watching, where it’s all eyes on you, show out, dude, go have your day,” Barber said on WFAN Sports Radio (h/t Sports Illustrated). “He doesn’t come through.
“There are moments when you have to elevate. When the world, sports world, or your teammates, or your fan base, or your coaching staff is just waiting for you to be that star. And you don’t get those opportunities all the time.”
If you don’t take advantage of ’em, trust me, they’re not gonna come because you’re not gonna be the guy. … And my issue with Daniel Jones is I don’t think he’s that guy.”
This season, Jones has attempted 15 deep passes of 20+ yards downfield. He has completed only three of them for 92 yards. According to Pro Football Focus, he has made two big-time throws when passing deep paired with two turnover-worthy plays. His adjusted completion rate is 26.7 percent.
Jones has left plenty of meat on the bones this season. If he could hit these explosive plays at a higher rate, the Giants might have a couple more wins on their record and the season could be on a completely different trajectory. However, as it has been a trend for seasons, Jones struggles to convert in those big moments, and the team loses games as a result.
