Giants rookie quarterback Daniel Jones had a second consecutive solid preseason game on Friday night, surprising those who derided the Giants for drafting him with the sixth overall pick. Giants coach Pat Shurmur is not surprised.
“People outside of our building seem surprised. We’re not. That’s why we picked him. And I think he’s making good progress as he goes along here. He’s checking off all the boxes. When it’s his time to play he will be ready. I’m pleased with the progress he’s making,” Shurmur said after the game.
So when will Jones be ready to supplant Eli Manning as the Giants’ franchise quarterback? Probably not in Week One, as Jones did make his share of mistakes, including losing two fumbles. But Shurmur said the only thing he told Jones about fumbling was, “Don’t do that.”
“It’s just part of the growing. But he didn’t panic. He dropped the ball a couple times. He didn’t call his parents, he just went back to work,” Shurmur said.
For his part, Jones said he knows he can’t drop the ball but was otherwise satisfied with his outing.
“Definitely some ups and downs. You’ve got to take care of the ball is the first thing, with those two fumbles, that will be something to focus on for sure,” Jones told Sal Paolantonio of ESPN. “A lot of things to learn, a lot of things to build off of.”
If Jones keeps building off his preseason performance, Manning may not be able to stave him off all season.