Time is running out for New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones. He hasn't thrown a touchdown since Week 5, the offense as a whole has scored just twice, and all the flashes of his 2022 self have melded into the broken pieces of last year's offense.
In Week 7, he spent the fourth quarter on the sideline, benched for Drew Lock and a potential "spark" to the offensive effort.
Jones will be back under center in Week 8, when the Giants visit the Pittsburgh Steelers. But the offense's current trajectory has Jones trending towards the bench.
In the meantime, New York will hope to fight off a revamped Steelers offense coming off its best performance of the season-a 37-15 win over the New York Jets. They, too, have a quarterback change on their hands.
Pittsburgh opted to start Russell Wilson over Justin Fields, a controversial call given the team's 4-2 start. The Steelers were quickly proven right, and thus the job remains Wilson's ahead of a daunting second-half schedule.
Giants head coach Brian Daboll spoke about the veteran quarterback on Thursday, months after the team brought Wilson in for a visit this past offseason.
"Yeah, we're beyond that," Daboll said. "But I will say this with Russell. He's a good football player. He's been a good football player for a long time. Did a heck of a job coming back last week against the Jets. Created explosive plays to (Steelers wide receiver George) Pickens. Since 2018, one of the higher, explosive-play quarterbacks, 20-(yard) plus plays. Won a Super Bowl. Was in another Super Bowl. Got a lot of respect for him as a person, as a player."
Daboll has always been intentional with his words, shielding his players and being careful not to tip much-no matter how small.
But emphasizing explosive plays? It's hard not to take those comments and compare them to Jones, who hasn't completed a 20-yard pass since Week 5. Even with receiver Malik Nabers back in the fold, the offense was lifeless in Week 7. The running game has been inconsistent, the offensive line crumbled, but at some point that comes down to the quarterback.
Pittsburgh's season-long outlook changed when it made a switch under center. Another rudderless week might mean a similar swap is in order for New York.
