GREG JOHNSON: Giants need Daniel Jones to play more like a $40 million quarterback

It’s scary to think what might happen in Miami on Sunday when the team with the NFL’s worst point differential visits the highest-scoring offense.

No one could have predicted before the season that the Giants (1-3) would be playing that role against the Dolphins (3-1), but it’s the reality of the situation. What Brian Daboll accomplished last season as the NFL’s Coach of the Year means virtually nothing now.

This team is not well-coached. The Giants are asleep at the start of the games, they commit mindless penalties, they have coughed the ball away eight times while forcing zero turnovers, and ultimately, they have played two good quarters of football out of 16.

And now they travel to play a team that two weeks ago was three points away from setting the NFL scoring record. Buckle up.

“Look, when you’re in this position you tell them what we’re not doing right, you own it, you own it as a leader, and you come back ready to go,” Daboll said Wednesday when asked if his confidence in the team has wavered. “Again, not the start that we had hoped for, we had worked for, but a long road ahead and a lot of improvement to be done.”

There’s plenty of blame to go around, obviously, and while it may seem easy to pile on the quarterback, it’s the truth.

Daniel Jones needs to play better and elevate this offense in a way that his $40 million per year contract suggests he is capable of doing.

The raw numbers speak for themselves: 191.3 passing yards per game, two touchdown passes, six interceptions (already more than last season), the 27th-best adjusted QBR, and the 33rd-best passer rating. Jones is also second in rushing yards (173) among quarterbacks, for what that is worth.

You can excuse those poor statistics with context all you want. Not having left tackle Andrew Thomas and running back Saquon Barkley for the last two games has hurt to a degree. And the offensive line has not performed well, with Jones facing a league-high 36 QB pressures in Week 4, according to Pro Football Focus.

All of that is true. But look: Quarterbacks around the NFL face pressures and blitzes on a regular basis. There are seemingly more good pass rushers than there are good offensive linemen these days. You need to see the field and navigate in the pocket well enough to make plays or avoid negative plays, especially when you’re getting paid like a top-10 quarterback.

Former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky detailed this week how only four of the Seahawks’ 11 sacks Monday were because of the offensive line. Many times, Jones missed an open receiver or took a sack unnecessarily.

“I always try to watch the film as closely as possible and see where I could have done something differently or could have done something better,” Jones said Wednesday.

There was also chatter this week about how Daboll singled out Jones with his sideline anger over Jones’ pick-six. Perhaps Daboll should’ve ridiculed other players as well, but that was a terrible read by Jones and it was ultimately the biggest play of the game since the Giants went from nearly making it a four-point game to being down 18 with only 16 minutes left.

“We were all frustrated,” Jones said. “Just a costly mistake. I can’t afford to do that.”

Again, it will certainly help if the Giants get Barkley back this week and this offensive line pieces things together as the season goes on. Speedy wideouts Jalin Hyatt and Wan’Dale Robinson saw upticks in playing time last week, and veteran Sterling Shepard is supposed to get back into the mix in Miami as well.

But the biggest factor here is quarterback play, and we know Jones can do it. He didn’t have his All-Pro left tackle in Arizona, yet he led a 20-point comeback with historic second-half numbers. And we all saw his historic playoff game at Minnesota in January, which was a big reason why he got the big contract.

But if the Giants’ offense continues to sputter, Jones’ viability as the long-term quarterback in New York will come into question again.

Jones was successful last season as the operator of a conservative passing attack and strong running game. That faded a bit down the stretch as defenses began to solve the Giants’ new coaching staff, but adding more skill players in the offseason was supposed to help this offense take the next step.

Yet Jones has remained an inconsistent enigma, and he and his teammates need to figure things out quickly.

“I think we’re all still confident,” Jones said. “I’m certainly confident in the group we have and what we can be. It’s about what you do on the field and what you do on game day. That’s what matters. That’s what we’re focused on.”

Giants Gameday

The Game: Giants at Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

The Line: Miami by 11.5

History: The Giants lead the all-time series, 7-3, and have won four of five since 2007. The Dolphins won the last matchup — a 20-9 game at Miami in 2021.

Key Matchups:

Giants OL vs. Dolphins OLB Andrew Van Ginkel: Van Ginkel is having a breakout season with three sacks and six QB hits. The Giants allowed a league-high 36 QB pressures and might be down three starting linemen this week.

Giants WR Wan’Dale Robinson vs. Dolphins CB/Ss: Miami is allowing the eighth-most passing yards per game (251). Robinson saw an increase in playing time (64 percent of the offensive snaps) and had a team-high six targets for five catches and 40 yards. He should continue to be a focal point as arguably the Giants’ most versatile weapon.

Giants CB Deonte Banks vs. Dolphins WRs: Banks has a 56.9 grade from Pro Football Focus through four games, which ranks third among four rookie corners from the first round of this year’s draft. Banks has been solid but has his hands full with Miami’s array of speedy receivers. Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Braxton Berrios have already combined for 826 receiving yards despite Waddle missing one game.

Giants OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux vs. Dolphins RT Austin Jackson: Jackson, a 2020 first-round pick from USC, has been a weak link on Miami’s offensive line and is someone for the Giants to exploit. Thibodeaux showed progress with two sacks and a near pick-6 against Seattle, and if the Giants are to get their first takeaway this week, it could come from Thibodeaux.

Injury Report:

Giants: OUT: OT Andrew Thomas (hamstring), C John Michael Schmitz (shoulder), G Shane Lemieux (groin); QUESTIONABLE: RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), TE Daniel Bellinger (knee), ILB Micah McFadden (ankle).

Dolphins: OUT: OL Rob Jones (knee), CB Nik Needham (Achilles); QUESTIONABLE: OL Lester Cotton (ankle), LB Jaelan Phillips (oblique), C Connor Williams (groin).

Giant Facts: In addition to their offensive line woes, the Giants have produced only four sacks, second-to-last in the NFL ahead of only the Bears (four). … The Giants’ 37.5% third-down conversion rate ranks 20th. … Despite being a former Pro Bowler, Darren Waller’s 153 receiving yards this season rank 11th among tight ends.

The Prediction: Dolphins 34, Giants 13