A little over a month ago, Giants quarterback Daniel Jones had a rough start to the season with two interceptions in a loss to the Vikings. Back then, the New York Post criticized him with a headline that read, “Daniel Groans: Jones lays a big egg as boo birds come out early in ugly Week 1 loss.” Fast forward to now, the Giants have won two of their last three games, putting them back in the playoff picture, and Jones has been a key player in this turnaround.
Jones, who has faced criticism since being drafted in 2019, has been on a hot streak in the last four games. He has completed 67.6% of his passes for 952 yards and six touchdowns with just one interception. His recent performance has earned him a 99.3 passer rating, ranking him 10th in the league ahead of some big-name quarterbacks. Jones himself attributes his improvement to focusing on his game and striving to get better every week.
Despite Jones’ recent success, the SportsLine Projection Model still sees him as a limited quarterback. The model projects him to finish the season with 15-16 passing touchdowns and 9-10 interceptions, estimating the Giants to win around 6.4 games and giving them a 3.3% chance of making the playoffs, which is the lowest among NFC East teams.
However, there is a glimmer of hope for the Giants. The model only considers data from the current and previous seasons, not factoring in Jones’ strong 2022 season. If Jones can maintain a low interception rate while increasing his touchdown passes per game, the Giants’ playoff chances could improve to 10.9%.
New York coach Brian Daboll has faith in Jones, praising his work ethic, leadership qualities, and improvement on the field. Daboll believes that for the Giants to reach their full potential, Jones will need to continue playing at a high level.
Looking ahead to Week 6, the SportsLine Projection Model predicts a close game between the Giants and the Bengals on Sunday night. While it’s not one of the top picks for the week, it’s expected to be a competitive matchup. For more top-tier NFL picks for Week 6, fans can check out SportsLine.
