Leadership, prep, and even “gut” over analytics

The Giants are not far from breaking through as an organization. They have the right coach, by most accounts, and they have the right quarterback, by fewer accounts.

Oh I promise this won’t be another dissertation on the prospects of Daniel Jones leading the Giants from a near decade-long period of irrelevancy. His critics don’t want to hear that one of life’s greatest truisms — success more often involves a journey than a sprint — can pertain to NFL quarterbacks as well. So for the Jones skeptics, and for now, we can agree to disagree on his potential. You will see, in time, that Jones is a bizarre replica of the quarterback who helped deliver two Super Bowl championships. And as such, you will see, in time, that patience and belief will be as important while cheering Jones as it often was while rooting for Eli Manning.

We’ve learned a few other things through nine games, heading into another expected turf battle with the Philadelphia Eagles. Most of all, we’ve learned that Joseph F. Judge, not 39 years old until New Year’s Eve, is going to be one hell of an NFL head coach.

Oh I know, it seems ridiculously premature to make such a claim. Just four years ago, Ben McAdoo got the Giants to 11-5 and a playoff berth in his first season and nobody, that I can remember, was showing him anywhere near the love they’ve shown Judge following a 2-7 start, an identical place in the standings as the Dallas Cowboys, who stink in so many ways.