What will it take for NYG to bench Daniel Jones? Panthers-Giants Q&A for Week 10

Giants on SI editor Patricia Traina answers questions about her team heading into an interntional showdown.

Aug 18, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) shakes hands with New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) after the preseason game at MetLife Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers don't have any prime-time games on their schedule, but the closest thing they have is this coming Sunday's international matchup with the New York Giants in Munich, Germany. It's a big game for Carolina, at least as big as any game can be fo a pair of 2-7 teams.

To learn more abut the G-Men we spoke with Patricia Traina, managing editor of Giants on SI. Here are a few questons she answered about her team.

The numbers don't look great, but those can be deceiving. How would you evaluate Daniel Jones at midseason?

Inconsistent, bordering on not good. When push has come to shove and it’s clutch time, Jones as fallen flat on his face, and for the best example of that, look at the Steelers game when he had two chances to rally his team toward a potential victory only to screw it up.

Jones’s problems have been there since he came to the NFL. He doesn’t trust what he sees, which causes him to throw the ball late rather than hit receivers in stride, he has happy feel in the pocket, even when the pocket is clean, and he is a one-read quarterback whose decision making deteriorates when that first decision is gone.

He’s a terrific human and a hard worker, and I admire him for fighting his way back from the ACL injury, but he’s just not the right quarterback to lead this team to bigger and better things, and if this franchise hasn’t figured that out after six seasons, then all hope for the future is lost.

What would it take for the Giants to give Drew Lock a chance at QB? Would it have to be an injury for Jones?

An injury would be a sure-fire way for a change, but the Giants are clearly not hoping for that considering Jones has a $23 million injury guarantee in his contract next year which he’d collect if he doesn’t pass a physical next spring.

That said, if the Giants lose to the Panthers this weekend, I would be shocked if Jones isn’t benched the rest of the way because of that looming injury guarantee. The Giants have a bye after this weekend’s game, and if you’re going to make that kind of a change, you do so at the bye so you have plenty of time to refocus what you’re doing to the strengths of the next quarterback, ne it Lock (who I don’t think would get the nod) or Tommy DeVito.

How much of an impact would you say that Brian Burns has made for the Giants defense so far?

Quite a significant one—and this is despite his playing with a very painful groin issue that I think would sideline most guys.

He might not have the gaudy sack numbers or be the team leader in sacks, but per NextGen Stats, Burns currently leads the Giants with 35 pressures and 17 quick pressures. He also  among individual pass rushers regarding pass-rush win rate from the edge (21%).

So he’s definitely been a solid addition to the team, and I also like his leadership in that he hasn’t been afraid to call out his immature teammates (though not by name), when they haven’t given their all.

The Giants certainly look like they could use Saquon Barkley right now. Are they missing him as much as it appears?

On the surface you could say that. Barkley is having a heck of a season in Philly. That said I think the strength of the Giants’ offensive line is pass blocking as opposed to run blocking, so I wonder if Barkley would have the numbers he has in Philly if he were still here.

I think for how this team is constructed, they’ll be fine with Tyrone Tracy, Jr. as their top running back, and I do understand why general manager Joe Schoen didn’t want to pay Barkley. I just wish they had traded him and gotten something for him rather than to let him walk out the door only to have that free agency loss nullified by a signing they made.

Aside from Dexter Lawrence, who would you say is the best player on the Giants' roster right now?

I think Brian Burns is right behind Lawrence on the defensive side of the ball, and on offense, I think you have to go with receiver Malik Nabers. I would have said left tackle Andrew Thomas, as his injury-related loss is really hurting this team—he like Lawrence is one of those players this team really couldn’t afford to be without. But again, if you’re looking for difference makers, Burns and Nabers would be my picks.

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