Warren Sharp, an NFL analytics guru, on Friday took aim at New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones.
In the process, he also exposed New England Patriots QB Bailey Zappe.
Sharp provided an extensive breakdown of Jones’ 2023 performance on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, as part of a bigger-picture evaluation of the Giants’ needs before the 2024 NFL Draft. He did not paint the New York signal-caller in a flattering light, instead presenting “wild” information highlighting Jones’ struggles throwing the ball on first down.
According to Sharp, even if you remove sacks and attempts under pressure (two variables largely beyond a quarterback’s control), Jones ranked 47th out of 48 QBs (minimum 100 attempts) last season in first-down efficiency.
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The only quarterback who fared worse: Zappe.
The nauseated face emoji Sharp concluded his tweet with perfectly encapsulates how the 2023 campaign played out for Jones, Zappe and their NFL teams, hence why the Giants and Patriots are picking at No. 6 and No. 3, respectively, in the first round of the upcoming draft.
Jones signed a massive contract extension with the Giants before last season. So, his production, injuries notwithstanding, was troubling for New York.
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The same can’t really be said for Zappe, who began last season as Mac Jones’ backup in New England and likely will hold a clipboard again in 2024 if he cracks the Patriots’ roster. The situations — and expectations — are apples and oranges, thereby exonerating Zappe from too much blame.
But this certainly is a tough look for those Patriots fans who got swept up in Zappe Fever, only for the 2022 fourth-round pick to eventually show his true colors between the lines. Zappe, like Mac Jones, stunk last season.
The numbers don’t lie.
Featured image via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
