Quicker Decision-Making

Daniel Jones was a better quarterback in 2019 when he was able to spot a receiver early and throw the ball right away. When he took fewer than 2.5 seconds to throw, his completion percentage went up by 13 points and his passer rating by 12 points. His on-target percentage when throwing within two seconds was 81.7 percent, 12 points higher than when he took his time in the pocket.

Unfortunately for the Giants, Jones was one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL last season in releasing the ball early. He took an average of 2.7 seconds on every dropback, 10th in the league. That delay allowed defenders to surround and pressure Jones consistently. He was sacked 40
times, seventh-most in the league, despite not getting his first start until Week 3 and missing Weeks 14-15.

If Jones wants to improve on his decision-making abilities in 2020, he’ll have to quickly learn a completely different playbook. Joe Judge is now the Giants head coach, replacing Pat Shurmur, while Garrett is the new offensive coordinator. Judge is a disciple of Bill Belichick in New England, as is quarterback coach Jerry Schuplinski who spent three years as assistant QB coach with the Patriots. That offense stressed getting rid of the ball quickly and protecting the quarterback.

Garrett ran an offense in Dallas that focused on a punishing ground game behind a good offensive line and allowing Dak Prescott, who started for Garrett as a rookie, to avoid mistakes.

Implementing the same scheme in New York, with Jones and Saquon Barkley filling the roles Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott played in Dallas, would help the Giants.