Will Third NFL Head Coach Be the Charm for Giants' QB Daniel Jones?

Next to the general manager and the head coach, there’s probably no other relationship that falls under the microscope in quite the same way as a head coach and a quarterback.

Understandably so, since the two positions are married together for better or worse. So when it comes to Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, he is hoping that after Pat Shurmur and Joe Judge didn’t pan out in his best interest, his relationship with Brian Daboll, his third head coach in the last four years, is the charm.

“He’s just always thinking, he’s always thinking about a new way to run this play or a new way to motion something or shift something or set it up – and that’s constant with him,” said Jones of what it’s been like to work with Daboll so far.

“It’s in the cafeteria, it’s through the hallways, obviously in meeting rooms. He’s always thinking and coming up with new ideas. That’s been fun. You learn a lot that way as I am learning the system, but also how he thinks about football, how he sees offense and setting us up to be successful. It’s been fun working with him.”

Likewise, Daboll has also enjoyed working with the former Duke signal caller.

“I’ve heard he was a hard worker,” Daboll said. “I get to see it. He is at it extremely hard. He’s here all the time. He’s more on the quiet side, but he is ultra, ultra-competitive. He does a good job in the huddle with his teammates when you just step out and listen to him. I think he’s a good leader.

“Daniel, since I’ve been around him, I think he’s got the right approach every week.”

Now that the Giants are game planning for contests that count, Daboll and Jones look forward to seeing where their working relationship heads next.

For Jones, the hope is that the days of his inconsistency are behind him and that Daboll can do for him what he did for Josh Allen in Buffalo.

Jones said he’s been encouraged by the system implemented by Daboll and believes it could finally bring out the best in his play.

“I think it’s a versatile system,” Jones said. “I think it allows the quarterback to do a lot in the pocket, outside the pocket, in the run game. It allows us to get into advantageous looks depending on what the defense does, easily getting in and out of plays. I think from all those perspectives, it’s very quarterback friendly for any quarterback. I’ve certainly enjoyed working with him.”

It’s also a very different and more challenging system, according to Jones.

“The verbiage is definitely different this year,” Jones said. “That’s something you’ve got to learn. It just takes time to study, memorize the words and how we are going to call things. The next level of that is understanding the concepts, the plays and getting used to seeing it against certain defenses and knowing what to expect.”

To help with the transition to the regular season, Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka have tried to keep things as streamlined as possible, starting with a smaller selection of plays specific to what the team hopes to accomplish on offense against the opponent.

That streamlined system should, theoretically, help Jones and the rest of the offense in finding success.

“I’d just say you have more time to study the things you’re going to do in a game,” Daboll said. “You’re focusing on certain players. It’s a lot more detailed in terms of what you’re trying to get accomplished.”

Besides streamlining, Daboll decided to allow Kafka, who has called the plays on offense since the spring, to continue in that role, which pleases Jones.

“Yeah, I think he’s done a great job,” the quarterback said. “I thought he did a great job through the preseason and training camp. I really enjoy working with him. I’ve really enjoyed it.”

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