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What’s more fun than second-guessing NFL coaches? Nothing, that’s what. So let’s do it every week, right here. Today: When do you decide you’ve had enough and bench your starting QB?
The scenario: The New York Giants were in the midst of suffering a humiliating blowout loss to their divisional rivals from Philadelphia. The Eagles — and in particular ex-Giant Saquon Barkley — ran all over New York, dominating in every phase of the game en route to a 28-3 blowout. By the fourth quarter, Giants head coach Brian Daboll had seen enough, benching Daniel Jones for backup Drew Lock.
The case for staying the course: Changing horses mid-stream is never a good idea. Jones’ massive contract makes him difficult to bench, and a public humiliation like benching him only risks losing both the locker room and the stands.
The case for making a switch: Look, sometimes you don’t need to change horses. You need entirely new horses. The Giants were down 25 when Daboll made the switch; if Jones couldn’t get it done, it was time for him to step aside and see if Lock could spark the team.
The result: He couldn’t. Lock’s first series went like this: fumble and a pass for a one-yard loss, incompletion, incompletion, punt. He finished three of eight for six yards passing, and the Giants punted on all three of his completed possessions. Jones, for his part, was 14 of 21 for 99 yards, though he was constantly on the run, taking seven sacks.
“I was trying to create some type of juice and maybe make a few plays and swing the momentum a little bit,” Daboll said after the game. “But that didn’t happen.”
Effect on the game’s outcome: Utterly inconsequential. Effect on the locker room? That’s another story.
“I was frustrated. Didn’t like it, obviously,” Jones said after the game. “It wasn’t much of a conversation. Just said he was going to go with Drew. Looking for a spark. That was about it.”
Daboll said both after the game and on Monday that Jones is still the starter, and that he had been looking for a “spark” that didn’t come. “Just not good enough all the way around,” Daboll said of his offense.
When that’s what you’ve got to work with, a coach’s options are limited indeed.
Still, the ripple effect from the decision to yank Jones could reverberate. So, your call: Should the Giants have pulled Jones? Let us know in the comments.