Before the Giants' 2024 season begins, it must be feeling like deja vu all over again for quarterback Daniel Jones.
Just one year after signing a four-year, $160 million contract, rumors are already flying about whether Jones is the Giants' long-term solution at the position.
The team could potentially trade Jones depending on the terms of his contract, and if the Giants were to trade him before the 2025 season, his dead cap hit would drop from $69.3 million to a more manageable $22.2 million, per Spotrac.
Thus, Jones is back in the same position of trying to prove the skeptics wrong.
While the market has a pretty bearish view on the Giants in 2024, they deserve a bit more respect than being a Week 1 home underdog against one of the teams with the lowest win projections in the NFL this season.
Here are my game previews, predictions and projections for Sunday's Vikings vs Giants game.
Vikings vs Giants odds
| team | Spread the word | Money Line | total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viking | -1.5 (-115) | -124 | o41.5 (-105) |
| Giants | +1.5 (-105) | +106 | u41.5 (-115) |
Viking Perspective
It's no good getting too wrapped up in NFL games in August.
Minnesota's 2024 first-round draft pick JJ McCarthy earned rave reviews in his only preseason appearance in the Vikings' 24-23 win over Las Vegas.
The Michigan native completed 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Unfortunately, he tore the meniscus in his right knee during the game and will be out for the year.
The plan for McCarthy was to work through the preseason and serve as Sam Darnold's backup, but it's entirely possible he could win the starting spot.
Darnold is in his seventh year in the NFL as a former No. 3 overall pick and is already with his fourth team. The Jets traded him to Carolina in 2021 knowing they wouldn't exercise his fifth-year option after three disappointing seasons in New York.
Darnold struggled during his two seasons in Carolina and was traded to San Francisco to serve as the backup to Brock Purdy.
So should we suddenly consider Darnold an NFL starter-worthy quarterback?
Giants Outlook
Regardless of how Jones will be rated as a starting quarterback, he led the Giants to a playoff appearance in the 2022 season, defeating the Vikings on the road in the wild-card round.
Jones went toe-to-toe with Kirk Cousins in that game, with both quarterbacks playing very well and posting QBR ratings of at least 82.5.
The Giants simply had the ball more and controlled the time of possession with their running game (33:36 to 26:24). Jones led New York's rushing attack with 78 yards on the ground.
When healthy, his dual-threat abilities make him a tough presence for opposing teams to guard. The key words here are, of course, When you're healthyJones missed three games last year with a neck injury before suffering a torn ACL that ended his season in Week 9.
The problem is, there's so much residual damage — or rather PTSD — from watching backup quarterback Tommy DeVito run around in the backfield as if this was the same Giants team from a season ago.
Week 1 is a good time to buy cheap as New York is the home team.
Vikings vs Giants predictions
There will be plenty of time throughout the season to dig into the finer details, but for now, this is simply a decline for Darnold.
According to the Action Network, Darnold is 22-33-1 (40%) against the spread (ATS) as a starting quarterback in the NFL, plus a dismal 0-4 ATS when the stakes are raised after his team opens as a pick-em or favorite.
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There is also an angle in Week 1 that suggests underdog value, as underdogs are 158-139-6 (53.2%) ATS in their games so far. The common belief is that the start of a new season brings new hope and optimism to lesser teams.
If I had to choose between the two quarterbacks, I'd pick Jones over Darnold, who at this stage in his career raises more questions than answers.
Best bet: Giants +2 (-112, DraftKings)
