The biggest falsity pedaled over and over about the Giants is that Daniel Jones just needs to play like he did in 2022 to quiet his critics.
The reality is that, with head coach Brian Daboll calling the plays, the Giants are looking for more of a cross between Rookie Daniel Jones (circa 2019) and Career-Year Daniel Jones (circa 2022) — a version never sustained for a long stretch where he is aggressive without veering into reckless.
“What I want him to do is … make the right decisions, get us to the right plays if he needs to and turn it loose when he needs to turn it loose,” Daboll said.
Training camp and a small taste of preseason action suggest that Daboll wants more from Jones than he is willing to say: More big plays, more deep throws, more points scored.
Can Jones answer the bell without reverting to the former turnover-prone ways that he has overcome?
“That sounds like a huge ask of someone who has never really shown an ability to do that on a consistent basis,” ESPN analyst and former front-office executive Louis Riddick told The Post. “Is he going to be able to flash it now and then? Yeah, I’m sure he will. But, for where he was drafted and what they paid him, and what will keep them from looking for the next [quarterback], will he be able to do it with consistency?
“No, I wouldn’t bet a dime on that. That’s being honest based upon what he has shown to this point.”
Jones led the Giants to the playoffs and earned a $160 million contract extension in 2022 by posting an NFL-best interception rate (1.1 percent of his passes) and the No. 6-ranked QBR despite just 15 touchdown passes.
But the Giants aren’t the Saquon Barkley-carried, Mike Kafka-called, bootleg-reliant offense that they were when Jones’ primary objective was taking care of the ball and hiding deficiencies.
If the Giants are going to capitalize on the speed of Malik Nabers and Jalin Hyatt and significant offensive-line investments made to provide a cleaner pocket, the ball needs to go down the field like it did when 11.8 percent of Jones’ passes covered 20 yards or more and resulted in nine touchdown passes in 2019, according to Pro Football Focus.
In the 47 games since then, just 5.5 percent of Jones’ passes covered 20 yards or more and produced 12 total touchdowns.
“We came in pretty explosive. We got down the field a good bit,” said Darius Slayton, Jones’ favorite target since their shared rookie year. “We started there and then we went back. It’s in him. He’s shown that he’s capable. This year, hopefully, we’ll be able to make more plays down the field and bring that back to life.”
It was jarring last season to see Tyrod Taylor attack downfield at a rate more than double Jones while playing with similar personnel.
Even before he developed MVP candidate Josh Allen, play-calling Daboll had journeyman quarterbacks Brady Quinn, Derek Anderson, Matt Moore, Colt McCoy, Chad Henne and Matt Cassel throwing deep on between 10 and 18 percent of their passes.
“The amount of big plays that happen each year is small,” Daboll said, with 40-yard gains in mind. “But it is significant in terms of outcomes of games and points.”
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The message drilled into Jones’ head in the years behind the scenes after his 23-turnover rookie season was, “Take what the defense gives you.” Daboll could be willing to live with more aggressive mistakes as a trade-off for the explosives that get the Giants out of the bottom-five in chunk gains and points scored over the last two seasons.
“The one thing I take comfort in, and I know there will be continued development in, is his ability to push the ball down the field, being more aggressive, and taking those deep shots,” assistant general manager Brandon Brown said. “I think this is the first time in his career Daniel has had four receivers that could line up on a 4×100-meter track team and are creating natural separation.”
Jones’ career-best game — weighing the circumstances — was against the Vikings in the 2022 playoffs, when he threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns.
The Vikings that visit Sunday at the start of Jones’ make-or-break year bear zero resemblance in personnel and scheme under second-year coordinator Brian Flores.
“He pressures often. Sometimes the entire game,” Daboll said. “It’s a completely different defensive scheme and structure than we saw two years ago. Couldn’t be any more different.”
Then again, if Daboll has his way, the Giants will look very different offensively if Jones can toe the line.
“Back then, we were running a different scheme altogether,” Slayton said. “I think D.J. is going to be aggressive but also be smart.”
