The New England Patriots will go against New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones for the first time in Thursday night's preseason finale at Gillette Stadium, and it might not be their only meeting with the talented rookie this season.
The Giants shocked many people when they selected Jones with the No. 6 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft despite the 22-year-old having good-but-not-great stats at Duke.
The obstacle keeping Jones from starting right away is Eli Manning, the veteran quarterback who's won two Super Bowl titles and cemented his legacy as one of the most successful players in franchise history. Manning hasn't played particularly well over the last two seasons and the Giants have an 8-24 record over that span. He was even benched late in the 2017 campaign.
If Manning plays poorly to begin the 2019 season, it's certainly possible that Giants head coach Pat Shurmur could turn to Jones. The Patriots will play the Giants at MetLife Stadium in a Week 6 matchup in October, but it's unknown if we'll see another Brady vs. Manning battle. Brady has a 2-3 record (including the playoffs) against Manning in his career, and these veteran QBs haven't squared off since New England earned a comeback victory in in New York during Week 10 of the 2015 season.
Jones might be the biggest roadblock to one last Brady-Manning showdown.
The Duke product has quickly begun to prove his draft doubters wrong with a very strong showing in three preseason games. He's completed 83.3 percent (25 for 30) of his passes for 369 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. He's shown impressive accuracy, good pocket poise and an ability to evade the rush with his above-average athleticism.
Jones might not be the only rookie quarterback to see the field in the preseason finale. Jarrett Stidham has played very well for the Patriots during the preseason with a 69.4 completion percentage, a league-leading 504 passing yards among rookies and two touchdowns. The fourth-round pick out of Auburn also hasn't thrown an interception.
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Stidham and Jones both could be the next franchise quarterbacks of their respective teams, and even if they aren't likely to be starting regular season games anytime soon, Thursday's matchup should provide fans of each team with an early glimpse at what the future could bring.
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