On Tuesday, the New York Giants made the big, yet unsurprising decision to bench Eli Manning for rookie Daniel Jones. The writing has been on the wall for quite some time now, and after an impressive preseason from the former Duke star, the Giants are finally ready to make the move. The Giants offense will change schematically, and CBS Sports' editor Dan Schneier broke down how it is more likely to improve than people expect. In the four exhibition games, Jones threw for 416 yards and two touchdowns. His passer rating never dipped below 115, and he had Giants fans absolutely ecstatic for the future.
That excitement was gone by Week 2 of the regular season.
The Giants lost to the Dallas Cowboys, 35-17, in the season opener, and then lost at home to the Buffalo Bills, 28-14, the following Sunday. Manning passed for 556 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in the first two games, as the Giants offense has gone stale. With Jones now in the starting lineup, New York is hoping to rekindle that excitement, as the Giants look to avoid their third straight losing season.
There's another 0-2 team in the NFC East with a rookie quarterback selected in the first round last April, and some may now be wondering when he will get a chance to take over this franchise.
Dwayne Haskins was selected by the Redskins with the No. 15 overall pick in the draft. Once considered the best quarterback in this class, Haskins fell on draft day and ended up being the third and final quarterback taken in the first round. The Redskins also acquired Case Keenum via trade from the Denver Broncos this offseason, and despite it also being his first year in this system, the Redskins elected to go with the veteran as their starter.
Keenum has played fine through the first two weeks of the season -- passing for 601 yards and five touchdowns in Washington's losses to the Philadelphia Eagles and Cowboys. Still, the Redskins are winless entering Week 3, and like Giants head coach Pat Shurmur, Jay Gruden is also on the hot seat.
Many of the Redskins' problems have to do with what's happening on the defensive side of the ball. Washington has given up 63 points and allowed 910 total yards of offense so far. Still, the Redskins offense has been extremely inconsistent. The Redskins play two more playoff teams in the next three weeks. What if things don't get better? Could the Redskins insert Haskins into the starting lineup for a change of pace like the Giants are trying to do with Jones?
That's why it will be interesting to see how Jones fares in his first few games. The Giants get the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday, which is definitely a winnable game. The following week, they get the Redskins. What if Jones outduels Keenum and leads the Giants to their second straight victory? Could Gruden opt to turn to his rookie if the Redskins start 0-4?
Something that could prolong Haskins' first start is the other quarterback on the roster, Colt McCoy. If the Redskins make a quarterback change just to make a change, they would probably go to McCoy, who has a big fan in Gruden. He's missed the entire preseason and the first couple of games as he continues to rehab from offseason leg surgery, but he should return to the fold soon.
With that being said, if the Redskins want to inject some energy into this franchise and win back the fan base, Haskins should be the one under center if the Redskins continue to struggle to win games. What are they gaining from waiting?
Again, Keenum has played fairly well so far so this may not be something that has crossed Gruden's mind yet. But if Jones turns the Giants' season around quickly, it could be Haskins time in D.C.
