Earlier this month, NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms, who had previously roasted the New York Giants for their decision to select quarterback Daniel Jones at No. 6 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, admitted he got it wrong.
“Yes, I crapped on him during the draft process and he crapped on me repeatedly during the 2019 season and said, ‘you’re wrong Chris Simms.’ And I am. I was wrong. I misevaluated him in the draft,” said Simms.
“Listen, I’m not going to lie. I fell into a trap that I told myself I wouldn’t fall into before. … A little bit like Dak Prescott where I put some of the struggles of the team and the offense and Daniel Jones maybe not being the sexiest guy to watch at times. I put all of those problems on him and that wasn’t fair coming out of Duke.”
At the time, we pondered if any other sports pundit would step up and acknowledge their mistakes and as it turns out, another one has.
Following some highly critical commentary from NFL Network’s Adam Schein on Jones, Cowherd stepped up to take down his colleague, saying Schein has it wrong and acknowledging he did, too.
"Daniel Jones can play. I was totally wrong. I think we have to reevaluate him… If Joe Burrow gets his numbers, he will win Rookie of the Year." — @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/AKiYCekOoB
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 18, 2020
“What he’s telling you is he thinks Daniel Jones is no good,” Cowherd said. “That doesn’t feel right for me, so now let me acknowledge that I was wrong on Daniel Jones.”
Cowherd admitted that Jones had one particularly bad game as a rookie (against the New England Patriots), but is giving the young quarterback a pass on that.
“Take out one stinker. And it’s not any stinker,” Cowherd said. “On a Thursday night, [a] short week against the greatest coach ever [Bill Belichick] in Foxborough. [It was] rainy and cold, he didn’t have Saquon Barkley, Evan Engram or Sterling Shepard. I’m taking it out. No rookie quarterback could have flourished there. Peyton Manning couldn’t have, [Tom] Brady couldn’t have, Russell Wilson couldn’t have.
“Take that one out, now look at Daniel Jones’ rookie year. 11 starts, 63 percent completion percentage, 91.5 passer rating, 23 touchdowns, nine picks. Folks, he’s a baller. I was wrong. Kid can play.”
Comparatively, Cowherd says, if Joe Burrow were to put up those exact numbers here in 2020, everyone will be claiming he’s the best thing since sliced bread.
“[If] Joe Burrow gets those numbers, all you pom-pom waiving fanboys are going to be on my [expletive] all year. Those are grown-up numbers.” Cowherd said. “I was totally wrong, dude can play. . . those are real numbers. [if] Joe Burrow gets those, he will win Rookie of the Year.”
That’s some pretty strong commentary from the usually critical Cowherd. And he’s not wrong. At all. If anyone other than Daniel Jones put up those kind of numbers as a rookie in fewer than 16 games, the entire football world would be claiming they were the next Tom Brady or Peyton Manning.
[lawrence-related id=650667,650325,650308]