Daniel Jones Looked Great in His Preseason Debut

Daniel Jones might be coming for Eli Manning’s job. The New York Giants rookie stepped onto the field and threw darts on Thursday night during his preseason debut.

After Manning let the Giants to a stirring, all-inspiring three-and-out their first drive, Jones entered the game. He immediately led the G-Men on an eight-play, 79-yard scoring drive that was capped by a 12-yard touchdown pass to Bennie Fowler.

Jones finished the night going 5-for-5 for 67 yards and a touchdown.

Check out his highlights from the evening:

I mean, a few of the passes were a little behind receivers but for the most part he looked really good. The Duke product was poised in the pocket, looked comfortable leading the team in and out of the huddle and stepped up with confidence when throwing.

The Giants selected Jones with the sixth pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, so at this point why not start him? Manning is clearly a shell of his formerly average self and there’s absolutely no future in betting on a 38-year-old quarterback.

For the record, Manning was 1-for-1 for three yards in his lone series. He’s coming off a season during which he finished 25th in Total QBR (49.1) and 21st in passer rating (92.4). Oh and he was 16th in yards per attempt (7.46) and was sacked 47 times. Yeah, that last number isn’t all on Manning, but he’s a statue in the pocket which certainly doesn’t help his case.

Jones just looked settled and smart. He looked good. Yeah, it was one preseason possession, but the Giants may need to shift their thinking to the future. If they believe Jones is their guy long-term, the future should start now.