Daniel Jones, Overmatched Giants Season Unravels in Nightmare MNF Loss to Seahawks

The New York Giants thought they knew who they were. Instead, they've been defeated and brought down.

Their fans dropped to their knees when hope ran out during a humiliating 24-3 loss Monday to the Seattle Seahawks at MetLife Stadium. The time has come to change the team's ways.

"I'd be upset too if I was a fan," head coach Brian Daboll told reporters after the contest.

After a surprise 2022 campaign, where the Giants made the postseason, won a playoff game and Brian Daboll captured NFL Coach of the Year honors, New York expected to build upon last year's success.

Now, the current group lacks an edge.

Monday's effort was an affront to good football. The Giants played undisciplined and sloppy football. They lost their cool on the field. And things appeared a little frosty on the sideline, too.

While every weekend is different in the NFL, the Seahawks completely owned New York throughout this game. As a team, the Giants gained 248 yards, allowed 11 sacks, turned the ball over three times, averaged a woeful 3.4 yards per play (including 3.0 yards per pass attempt) and finished 6-of-16 on third down.

One performance can be considered an aberration. For the Giants, they're just a terrible football team.

As ESPN Stats & Info noted (h/t Ed Werder), the two New York-based franchises are the only two teams in the NFL this season that have failed to run an offensive play with a lead. This outcome is a byproduct of multiple problem areas, starting with quarterback Daniel Jones.

Those defending Jones will quickly point out the protection issues the Giants have endured. Yes, it's a problem. But the quarterback isn't absolved of his bad play just because others are struggling as well.

Late in the third quarter with the Giants in the red zone, Seahawks rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon picked off a Jones pass and returned the ball 97 yards for the game's final touchdown.

"We knew he liked to stare down his first target," Witherspoon told NFL Network's Judy Battista during a post-game interview.

Jones clearly stared down his target during the second-down play, then threw the ball behind the receiver.

"Terrible decision, awful mistake," Jones said after the game. Can't afford to do that."

The 26-year-old old quarterback is now in his fifth season. He signed a four-year, $160 million contract extension this offseason. The question shouldn't be what he's seeing. Rather, does he know where he made his mistake? A rookie shouldn't be pointing out how the now-veteran signal-caller is making the same mistakes as a first- or second-year quarterback.

To be clear, the offensive line has been wrecked by injuries. There's no denying that roster malfeasance. At the same time, others around the league, including Monday's counterpart, Geno Smith, are dealing with multiple injuries to their starting fronts.

In fact, four of the Seahawks' five starters weren't in the lineup by the end of Monday's contest. To be a true franchise quarterback, the abilities to overcome and elevate are critical. Jones falls woefully short in these areas.

But, yes, the Giants have not done a good enough job addressing their offensive line, even with a pair of top-10 picks at offensive tackle and a talented second-round center snapping the ball. Granted, left tackle Andrew Thomas is dealing with a hamstring injury, while right tackle Evan Neal continues to be a disappointment.

"We take responsibility for those 11 sacks," Neal said. "We just have to play better."

Sarah Stier/Getty Images

Still, Jones' career indicates this is exactly who he is. He's a quarterback that commits more turnovers than he throws touchdowns. It happens over and over and over again. And those mistakes don't always fall on others.

As another example, pre-snap identification of the blitz can make life much easier on Jones. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, the Seahawks generated seven sacks by sending five or more pass-rushers. It's the highest number in nearly five full years.

Linemen are going to get beat. Running backs and tight ends will fail to hold up in protection. But they can be given a better chance to succeed just by sliding the protection in the right direction or knowing where the pressure will come from prior to the start of the play. These are necessary aspects to achieve high-level quarterbacking.

Because of these shortcomings, which is compounded by a lack of weapons in the passing attack, Jones attempted only two passes beyond 10 yards.

In a league where quarterback play is better than ever and defenses are relying on softer shells with lighter boxes, the Giants can't figure out how to score a touchdown against anyone other than the Arizona Cardinals.

Despite everything, Daboll didn't entertain the idea of making a change behind center. Tyrod Taylor is an experienced backup, though. A potential move could be the exact type of shakeup to light a fire under the team and Jones.

Sure, a healthy Saquon Barkley could help, too. But he's dealing with a high-ankle sprain, and his injury history indicates he's going to miss more time.

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

Defensively, the Giants could play more disciplined as well. The Seahawks feature a ramshackle offensive line that still paved the way with an average of 5.0 yards per carry between running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. Clearly, Big Blue's D became flustered and chippy as the game progressed. But it didn't create any turnovers or make the necessary plays to pick up a stagnating offense.

With the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills next on the docket, the Giants' situation will almost assuredly get worse before New York can get better.

Right now, Daboll and Co. are counted among the league's worst squads. Massive reinforcements aren't forthcoming. Instead, the Giants appear to be closer to their version that finished 2-5-1 during last season's stretch run than capable of winning another playoff game.

A quick fix isn't forthcoming. Everything must be reassessed, including the starting quarterback. Whatever the Giants do, those within the organization must come to the realization they were never as good as they thought they were.

---

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.