Deion Sanders, also known as “Prime Time,” has swept the sports nation as head coach at Colorado. That nickname isn’t for everyone. Namely, Daniel Jones. The QB affectionately known as “Danny Dimes” probably won’t be touching the “Prime Time” nickname anytime soon.
Jones and the Giants hosted the Seahawks in the national spotlight on “Monday Night Football.” Jones entered with a 1-11 record in his career in prime time, the worst record of any QB with at least 10 starts since 1970. The second-worst? Andy Dalton. Worse yet: things didn’t get any better for Jones and the G-Men in Week 4. Here’s an updated look at his record, with Seattle securing a blowout win:
Worst prime-time records since 1970 among QBs with 10+ starts
| W-L | Win Pct | |
|---|---|---|
|
Daniel Jones |
1-12 |
.077 |
|
Andy Dalton |
6-21 |
.222 |
|
Jeff George |
5-17 |
.227 |
|
Ken Anderson |
3-10 |
.231 |
Jones’ only win in prime time was against the Commanders last December: A 20-12 victory that ended on a questionable non-call — potential pass interference on the Giants in the end zone on fourth down with the Commanders driving to tie the game.
That win snapped Jones’ nine-game losing streak in prime time to begin his career. It’s also been long forgotten, especially after the Giants opened the season with an embarrassing 40-point loss on “Sunday Night Football” against the Cowboys.
Daniel Jones’ career in prime time
| Season | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
|
2019 |
at Patriots |
Lost by 21 |
|
2019 |
Cowboys |
Lost by 19 |
|
2020 |
Lost by 10 |
|
|
2020 |
at Eagles |
Lost by 1 |
|
2020 |
Lost by 2 |
|
|
2021 |
at Commanders |
Lost by 1 |
|
2021 |
at Chiefs |
Lost by 3 |
|
2021 |
at Buccaneers |
Lost by 20 |
|
2022 |
Cowboys |
Lost by 7 |
|
2022 |
at Commanders |
Won by 8 |
|
2023 |
Cowboys |
Lost by 40 |
| 2023 | 49ers | Lost by 18 |
| 2023 | Seahawks | Lost by 21 |
Any Daniel Jones apologist might point to the fact that the Giants were not expected to win many of these games. They have been a betting underdog in 11 of his 12 starts in prime time. You can’t expect him to have a winning record in those situations. He’s played on a losing team for most of his career, up until last year, and he’s often matched up with a much better opponent on national TV.
There’s some truth there. My counter, though: Jones’ numbers in these spots don’t help his case. He has 12 touchdown passes and 18 interceptions in 13 prime time starts, compared with 50 touchdowns to 22 interceptions in all other games.
Daniel Jones’ career stats
| Prime time | Not prime time | |
|---|---|---|
|
W-L |
1-12 |
21-22-1 |
|
Pass TD-Int |
12-18 |
50-22 |
Monday could’ve been Jones’ best chance to end his horrors in prime time, as the Seahawks had been lit up by opposing QBs this season. That is, until Monday’s matchup, when the Seattle defense sacked him time and time (and time) again.
A silver lining: Jones proved he could be a one-man band of sorts in Week 2. He became the first player in Giants history with 250 pass yards, 50 rush yards, two touchdown passes and a rush touchdown in a game, and he did that in the second half alone. Michael Vick (2010 at Washington) was the only other quarterback to have a half like that since 2000. That’s really impressive, even if it was against the Cardinals. But other than that, it’s been a nightmare of a start to the season for Jones and the 1-3 Giants.
Jones will get his next chance to change the prime-time narrative on Oct. 15, against the Bills.
