The Mycenaean

Daniel Jones, the rookie quarterback for the New York Giants, stunned haters and doubters across the internet after his debut against the Buccaneers on September 22nd. Jones showed promise in his first week and hopes to continue throughout the following weeks. (Photo courtesy of Maddie Bimonte).

 

After a rough start for the New York Giants, week three started with a change, starting rookie quarterback Daniel Jones. Jones, comes from Duke University, where he lead his team to an 8-5 record his senior year as well as winning a bowl game. Boasting a three time MVP award in bowl games, Jones seemed destined for a successful run in the NFL.

However, as the 2019 draft approached, analysts spoke unfavorably of Jones, saying he did not have starting potential in the NFL. When the NFL Draft aired, laughter and disbelief broke out across news platforms from Yahoo Sports to ESPN.

Furthermore, Madden, the popular football video game, gave Jones a 63 overall rating at the time of its release (after his most recent start, his score did increase to an overall of 68). The rating provides a comprehensive score of a players talent, and most quarterbacks range in the 80-85’s. 

While many ridiculed the New York Giants for their draft pick, Duke Football fans shared their excitement and their love for the rookie quarterback. “Daniel was a great quarterback in college. Putting him in the NFL makes him look even better, because now he has more talented receivers,” said Duke fan Garett Robertson.

Giants head coach Pat Shurmur announced on September 17th that Daniel Jones would start over long time quarterback Eli Manning. While devastating to Giants fans, Manning saw an unsuccessful start to the 2019-2020 season, losing their first two games. Manning led the New York Giants to two super bowl wins, his performance throughout the past few seasons is not up to par with his previous statistics.

Against the Buccaneers, Jones threw two touchdowns with a total of 336 yards. The Giants pulled through, with Jones throwing the game winning touchdown with a minute left in the fourth quarter. Fans seemed to react very positively to Jones, nicknaming him “Danny Dimes” after his ability to put the ball on a dime, otherwise referring to his accuracy.

“I think he has great potential to be a future superstar,” said Robertson. “I love watching him play and can’t wait to see what else he can accomplish.”