The Giants’ offensive line provided as much resistance as five folding chairs Monday night against the Seahawks, but ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky believes the Giants’ $160 million quarterback should be receiving plenty of heat too for the embarrassing display at MetLife Stadium.
“It’s OK for us to expect more out of the performance of Daniel Jones – 11 sacks, I count four of them on the offensive line,” Orlovsky said Tuesday on “NFL Live.”
While Jones certainly did not have a great pocket to work with Monday, Orlovsky demonstrated why Jones didn’t do his part to help.
There is increased pressure on Jones, as one of the NFL’s highest-paid players, but Orlovsky outlined the QB’s rookie and basic mistakes that undermined the Giants in the 24-3 loss.
Orlovsky, who served primarily as a backup quarterback for seven seasons, broke down four plays where Jones deserved the blame instead of the offensive line.
The first play happened in the first quarter of a scoreless game when the Giants faced a second-and-5 at the Seahawks’ 46-yard line. The play resulted in a Devon Witherspoon sack.
Orlovsky said the Giants had empty protection on that play, which meant the free edge rusher was not on the offensive line to pick up. Jones had to get the ball out quickly and did not, and he also missed a potential completion to Wan’Dale Robinson.
“There is one of those 11 sacks, absolutely not on the offensive line,” Orlovsky said.
The second mistake happened on the strip-sack on the Giants’ following drive.
Orlovsky said Jones had to be aware of the unblocked defender because if he had noticed, he could have dumped it off to Robinson for an easy completion.
He also questioned the play call, which gives Jones at least a little bit of an excuse.
Seattle instead tallied the turnover and scored two plays later to grab a 7-0 lead.
“That’s not on the offensive line,” Orlovsky said. “That’s on the plan or Daniel Jones execution wise.”
Orlovsky ended his breakdown with an analysis of Jones’ game-changing pick-six that all but ended the game.
Jones made a poor mistake on the play by forcing the ball to his first read – Parris Campbell – when there were two other safer options available.
“Daniel Jones drops back and throws this even though this defender is right here and Bobby Wagner, a Hall of Famer, is right there. He should absolutely not throw that football,” Orlovsky said. “The ball should either be to the back corner to (Darren) Waller or throw it on Wan’Dale Robinson’s chest and that’s a completion. That’s not on the offensive line.”
Orlovsky’s fair and measured breakdown is a bad look for Jones, who has looked the part of a $160 million quarterback for two of 16 quarters in the season.
The Giants need Jones to elevate the talent around him with Saquon Barkley sidelined, and Jones instead has thrown as many pick-sixes this season as touchdown passes (two).
“I understand he’s playing with backup offensive linemen and they did not play great. But of those 11 sacks we talked about … six of them are on Daniel Jones holding the ball too long, trying to escape and maybe runs for one or two yards,” Orlovsky said. “We can’t pin it all on the offensive line.
“Those are four clips right there that I think it’s OK for us to sit there and say, ‘I expect our six (sic) year, 40-plus million (per) year quarterback to figure them out.’”