What specific impact are you expecting to see a new line associated with DJ the QB?
I will start by listing the skills an elite QB has and relate those to DJ. I will conclude with which of the ones he does not have have imo and what impact a better O line will have.
The skills and attributes associated with a top level QB are listed below:
1. Superior arm strength and accuracy
2. Anticipation - pocket presence
3. Anticipation - 6th sense connection with receivers, ability to place ball where only the receiver can get it
4. Learns offense and runs it with poise
5. Studies, is a tiredless student of the game
6. stays calm in the midst of pressure and makes sound wise decisions
7. Quickly scans the whole field finding open receiver
8. Runs 2 minute offense
9. Leadership on the field, making others better
10. Appreciates and supports team and staff
11. Ability to lead team back to victory in 4th quarter
12. Rises to all occasions in all games, more so in big games
13. Wins championships or at least competes in them
14. Confidence
15. Accountability
16. Intelligence
17. Footwork
18. Decision making
19. Physically tuff
I am sure I missed some and or overlapped in the listing process.
Jones has some of these no doubt, I would say he has:
1. Intelligence
2. Accountability
3. ability to lead team back in 4th
4. Studies, is a student of the game
5. Arm strength to an extent.
6. leadership
7. Physically Tuff
I would say he is lacking in:
1. Accuracy
2. Pocket Presence and 6th sense
3. Running offense with poise
4. Stays calm and makes sound decisions
5. Quickly assess full field
6. Rises to all occasions and does not step up in big games
7. Confidence
My problem is a better O line will not fix many of his bigger issues.
1- Accuracy - Accuracy is considered one of the skills most likely to not improve through a career, you have it or you do not. It can be improved a little based on what you are asked to do but history says it is what it is.
2- pocket presence, Jones has below average pocket presence. hearing ghosts and running when no need exist and not running when he should.
3- Stays calm and makes sound decisions - He gets flustered under pressure and continues to fail to identify critical presnap reads (empty coverage and uncovered pass rushers, overhang pass rushers, hot reads, etc).
4- Runs offense with poise - IMO he does not, he is running a very basic offense with very easy reads and checkdowns. This has occurred through multiple coaches too, he runs an offense with training wheels built into it to cover up the line mostly. That is a scary fact about what different coaching staffs think he is capable of handling.
5-Quickly assesses field- IMO he does not. He does not do this well presnap or post snap often missing the open receiver.
6- Aside from the Vikings playoff game he typically does not rise up in all games. To be fair to Jones at times he has been damn near perfect but too few for a 5th year player.
7- Confidence - IMO the way he reverts back to his bad habits when under pressure shows a lack of confidence and poise.
So my question is what skills do you feel Jones is currently not posing or excelling with that will be improved with better line play? Or will better line play simply allow a better running game and the team will be better, thus buffering against Jones's shortcomings.
I will go first:
I can see the accuracy slightly improving associated with being able to make better reads and setting his body for the throws (not being on the run). But nothing major. He is missing throws now with no pressure.
I do not see his pocket presence increasing for him. He simply is too smart for his own good and has anxiety and fears failure.
The biggest issue for me right now is the poor mental side to DJ's game. A better line will ultimately reduce the times he is asked to deal with pressure situations that wear on a QB's mental state and that is a big deal no doubt but only against average competition. Top defenses are going to bring it and he will need the mental skills to play the chess match. The skills he has failed to display to date, as we saw last year vs Philli.
Confidence can certainly be increased with more and more successful repetitions. I see the Oline helping with this, but will it last in games that matter most?
Ultimately, getting to the question, will a better line simply make the team better with DJ being a more functional QB (2022-2023)?
Or will a better line allow DJ to develop into an elite QB?
In short I see Jones's being a better QB behind an average to above average line and ultimately the Giants offense being better and leading to more wins against the lower 2/3rds - 3/4's of the league's teams. But I do not see him excelling with the traits that will help him win against the best defenses in the toughest of games. I simply do not see an improved O line allowing for Jones to start excelling at the critical traits carried in an elite QB.
Correct or not, and I am not implying I am correct, but that is how I am looking at Jones as the QB of the Giants when I give me 2 cents on Jones.
And so we are all clear I think the Oline is embarrassingly horrible, nothing short of a complete disgrace.
I just see both issues existing simultaneously, at this point a correlation and not causation.
I will start by listing the skills an elite QB has and relate those to DJ. I will conclude with which of the ones he does not have have imo and what impact a better O line will have.
The skills and attributes associated with a top level QB are listed below:
1. Superior arm strength and accuracy
2. Anticipation - pocket presence
3. Anticipation - 6th sense connection with receivers, ability to place ball where only the receiver can get it
4. Learns offense and runs it with poise
5. Studies, is a tiredless student of the game
6. stays calm in the midst of pressure and makes sound wise decisions
7. Quickly scans the whole field finding open receiver
8. Runs 2 minute offense
9. Leadership on the field, making others better
10. Appreciates and supports team and staff
11. Ability to lead team back to victory in 4th quarter
12. Rises to all occasions in all games, more so in big games
13. Wins championships or at least competes in them
14. Confidence
15. Accountability
16. Intelligence
17. Footwork
18. Decision making
19. Physically tuff
I am sure I missed some and or overlapped in the listing process.
Jones has some of these no doubt, I would say he has:
1. Intelligence
2. Accountability
3. ability to lead team back in 4th
4. Studies, is a student of the game
5. Arm strength to an extent.
6. leadership
7. Physically Tuff
I would say he is lacking in:
1. Accuracy
2. Pocket Presence and 6th sense
3. Running offense with poise
4. Stays calm and makes sound decisions
5. Quickly assess full field
6. Rises to all occasions and does not step up in big games
7. Confidence
My problem is a better O line will not fix many of his bigger issues.
1- Accuracy - Accuracy is considered one of the skills most likely to not improve through a career, you have it or you do not. It can be improved a little based on what you are asked to do but history says it is what it is.
2- pocket presence, Jones has below average pocket presence. hearing ghosts and running when no need exist and not running when he should.
3- Stays calm and makes sound decisions - He gets flustered under pressure and continues to fail to identify critical presnap reads (empty coverage and uncovered pass rushers, overhang pass rushers, hot reads, etc).
4- Runs offense with poise - IMO he does not, he is running a very basic offense with very easy reads and checkdowns. This has occurred through multiple coaches too, he runs an offense with training wheels built into it to cover up the line mostly. That is a scary fact about what different coaching staffs think he is capable of handling.
5-Quickly assesses field- IMO he does not. He does not do this well presnap or post snap often missing the open receiver.
6- Aside from the Vikings playoff game he typically does not rise up in all games. To be fair to Jones at times he has been damn near perfect but too few for a 5th year player.
7- Confidence - IMO the way he reverts back to his bad habits when under pressure shows a lack of confidence and poise.
So my question is what skills do you feel Jones is currently not posing or excelling with that will be improved with better line play? Or will better line play simply allow a better running game and the team will be better, thus buffering against Jones's shortcomings.
I will go first:
I can see the accuracy slightly improving associated with being able to make better reads and setting his body for the throws (not being on the run). But nothing major. He is missing throws now with no pressure.
I do not see his pocket presence increasing for him. He simply is too smart for his own good and has anxiety and fears failure.
The biggest issue for me right now is the poor mental side to DJ's game. A better line will ultimately reduce the times he is asked to deal with pressure situations that wear on a QB's mental state and that is a big deal no doubt but only against average competition. Top defenses are going to bring it and he will need the mental skills to play the chess match. The skills he has failed to display to date, as we saw last year vs Philli.
Confidence can certainly be increased with more and more successful repetitions. I see the Oline helping with this, but will it last in games that matter most?
Ultimately, getting to the question, will a better line simply make the team better with DJ being a more functional QB (2022-2023)?
Or will a better line allow DJ to develop into an elite QB?
In short I see Jones's being a better QB behind an average to above average line and ultimately the Giants offense being better and leading to more wins against the lower 2/3rds - 3/4's of the league's teams. But I do not see him excelling with the traits that will help him win against the best defenses in the toughest of games. I simply do not see an improved O line allowing for Jones to start excelling at the critical traits carried in an elite QB.
Correct or not, and I am not implying I am correct, but that is how I am looking at Jones as the QB of the Giants when I give me 2 cents on Jones.
And so we are all clear I think the Oline is embarrassingly horrible, nothing short of a complete disgrace.
I just see both issues existing simultaneously, at this point a correlation and not causation.