Giants put Daniel Jones in tough spot: Rookie QBs seem to struggle when first start of their career is on the road

For just the second time since November 2004, the New York Giants are going to be starting a quarterback this week who's not named Eli Manning.

After watching Manning get off to an ugly start in 2019, the Giants finally made the decision to bench their Super Bowl-winning quarterback on Tuesday in favor of rookie Daniel Jones. With the way Manning has been playing over the past few years, it was a move the team definitely had to make, but should the Giants have waited one more week to make it?

By benching Manning this week, that means Jones will be making the first start of his NFL career on the road, and if the past 10 years have been any indication, the road definitely hasn't been kind to rookie quarterbacks.

Since 2009, there have been a total of 28 rookie quarterbacks who have made the first start of their career on the road, and those quarterbacks have gone 10-18, which is a winning percentage of just .357.

The list of losing quarterbacks includes Matthew Stafford, Cam Newton, Russell Wilson and Baker Mayfield. (If you're the gambling type, there doesn't seem to be any advantage to betting for or against a rookie, because teams with rookies have gone 13-14-1 against the spread in those 28 games).

If the Giants had kept Jones on the bench for one more week, they could have avoided this situation, and that's because they play at home against the Redskins in Week 4.

Although that 10-18 record is ugly, it's actually worse for quarterbacks when that first start comes after the opener like Jones' will. Think about it, if you're a rookie who's starting in Week 1, you probably received most of the first team reps in training camp, which makes you more prepared for the start. If you're forced to start after Week 1, you literally have three practices to prepare.

Out of the 28 games that rookies have started, 17 of them have come after Week 1 and the quarterbacks have gone 5-12 in those games, a winning percentage of just .294. However, two of those starts (Patrick Mahomes and Kyle Allen) came in Week 17 games where competition is harder to judge. For instance, the Saints were resting their starters when Allen made his start for the Panthers last season. If you throw out Week 1 and Week 17, then the record is down to just 3-12 (Rookies getting their first start on the road in Week 1 or Week 17 have gone 7-6).

If you look at just first-round picks, they've combined to go 6-8 in the first start of their career (Remember, we're only counting rookies who made the first start of their career on the road).

If you're wondering how Jones might perform, the other rookies combined to throw 37 interceptions compared to 31 touchdowns in their 28 combined games. That's an average 1.3 interceptions per game compared to just 1.1 touchdown passes per game.

Here's a look at how rookie quarterbacks have fared over the past 10 years when the first start of their career comes on the road (Keep in mind, quarterbacks like Kyler Murray, who got to make the first start of their career in a home game, won't be on this list. Only quarterbacks who had to play on the road in the first start of their career are listed below).

2009

Matthew Stafford

Week 1: Detroit at New Orleans -- Saints favored by 14

Round drafted: First (First overall pick)

Unfortunately for Stafford, he had to open his career in New Orleans, against the eventual Super Bowl champion Saints, and this game ended up being a blowout from start to finish. The Lions trailed 28-10 at halftime in a game where Stafford threw three interceptions. The Lions quarterback finished 16 of 37 for 205 yards.

Result: Lions lose 45-27, don't cover the spread (0 TD, 3 INT).

Mark Sanchez

Week 1: New York at Houston -- Texans favored by 4.5

Round drafted: First (Fifth overall pick)

The Jets went to the playoffs in 2009 and a big reason for that is because they got efficient play from Sanchez. In his first game with the team, Sanchez finished 18 of 31 for 272 yards against the Texans. The Jets shot out to a 17-0 lead in this game and never looked back.

Result: Jets win 24-7, cover spread (1 TD, 1 INT)

Keith Null

Week 14: St. Louis at Tennessee -- Titans favored by 14

Round drafted: Sixth (196th overall pick)

Someone must have forgot to tell the Rams they were starting a sixth-round rookie, because they decided to throw the ball on nearly every play in this game, and the results weren't pretty. Null ended up throwing five interceptions in a game where he finished 28 of 44 for 165 yards.

Result: Rams lose 47-7, don't cover the spread (1 TD, 5 INT)

2010

Tim Tebow

Week 15: Denver at Oakland -- Raiders favored by 8

Round drafted: First (25th overall)

This was a classic Tebow game without the classic Tebow finish. In the first start of his career, Tebow only threw the ball 16 times, however, he did do some serious damage on the ground, rushing for 70 yards and a touchdown. Tebow also threw a 33-yard touchdown pass while finishing 8 of 16 for 138 yards through the air.

Result: Broncos lose 39-23, don't cover the spread (1 TD, 0 INT)

Rusty Smith

Week 12: Tennessee at Houston -- Texans favored by 5

Round drafted: Sixth (176th overall pick)

Not only was this the first start of Smith's career, it would also end up being the only start of his career, and that might be because he had an ugly game. The Titans only mustered 162 yards in the loss. Smith finished 17 of 31 for 138 yards in an ugly debut that also included three interceptions.

Result: Titans lose 20-0, don't cover the spread (0 TD, 3 INT)

Colt McCoy

Week 6: Cleveland at Pittsburgh -- Steelers favored by 14

Round drafted: Third (85th overall pick)

The Colt McCoy era got off to a rocky start for Cleveland. In his first game with the Browns, McCoy struggled against a Steelers team that would eventually make it to the Super Bowl, going 23 of 33 for 281 yards along with two interceptions.

Result: Browns lose 28-10, don't cover the spread (1 TD, 2 INT)

2011

Cam Newton

Week 1: Carolina at Arizona -- Cardinals favored by 7

Round drafted: First (First overall pick)

In his first game with the Panthers, Newton almost engineered a road upset of the Cardinals. The Panthers held a 21-14 lead in the second half thanks to Newton, who threw for an incredible 422 yards and two touchdowns. The Panthers quarterback also rushed for a touchdown, which means he accounted for every point that Carolina scored in this game.

Result: Panthers lose 28-21, push the spread (2 TD, 1 INT)

Andy Dalton

Week 1: Cincinnati at Cleveland -- Browns favored by 7

Round drafted: second (35th overall pick)

Dalton might have had the most awkward debut on this list and that's because he was taking over for Carson Palmer, who was technically still on the Bengals roster even though he threatened retirement and refused to play for the team. Despite that hanging over his head, Dalton did just enough to help the Bengals win (10 of 15 for 81 yards and a touchdown).

Result: Bengals win 27-17, cover the spread (1 TD, 0 INT)

Blaine Gabbert

Week 3: Jacksonville at Carolina -- Panthers favored by 3.5

Round drafted: First (10th overall pick)

This game was rookie vs. rookie with Gabbert vs. Newton and unfortunately for the Jaguars, they definitely didn't have the better quarterback in the game. In the first start of his career, Gabbert went 12 of 21 for 139 yards in a six-point loss.

Result: Jaguars lose 16-10, don't cover the spread (1 TD, 1 INT)

2012

Andrew Luck

Week 1: Indianapolis at Chicago -- Bears favored by 10

Round drafted: First (first overall pick)

Luck basically took a beating during his entire career and that started with his debut. In his first NFL game ever, the Colts quarterback was sacked three times. Although Luck ended up throwing for 309 yards, the heavy pressure from the Bears forced him into throwing three interceptions.

Result: Colts lose 41-21, don't cover the spread (1 TD, 3 INT)

Robert Griffin

Week 1: Washington at New Orleans-- Saints favored by 9

Round drafted: First (Second overall pick)

RG3 might have had the most impressive debut of any quarterback on this list. Not only did Griffin lead the Redskins to a win, but he totaled 362 yards in the game. RG3 threw for 320 yards and rushed for another 42 as the Redskins pulled off a huge upset in New Orleans.

Result: Redskins win 40-32, cover the spread (2 TD, 0 INT)

Ryan Tannehill

Week 1: Miami at Houston -- Texans favored by 13.5

Round drafted: First (Eighth overall pick)

Tannehill's rocky career with the Dolphins got started in his very first game with the team. In Miami's 2012 opener, Tannehill threw three interceptions against the Texans in a blowout loss.

Result: Dolphins lose 30-10, don't cover the spread (0 TD, 3 INT)

Russell Wilson

Week 1: Seattle at Arizona -- Seahawks favored by 14

Round drafted: Third (75th overall)

If you're wondering how hard it is to go on the road and win your first career start, not even Russell Wilson could do it, and he's actually the only quarterback on this list who was favored to win his debut game. Although Wilson only threw for 153 yards, this game had some serious drama at the end as he led the Seahawks down to Arizona's four-yard line in the final 30 seconds. Unfortunately for the Seahawks, they weren't able to punch it in, which meant Wilson went home with a loss in his debut game.

Result: Seahawks lose 20-16, don't cover the spread (1 TD, 1 INT)

Nick Foles

Week 11: Philadelphia at Washington -- Redskins favored by 3.5

Round drafted: Third (88th overall pick by Eagles)

Foles has come off the bench to save an Eagles season before, but he couldn't do it in his rookie year. In a rookie vs. rookie matchup, Foles and the Eagles got blown out by RG3 and the Redskins during this mid-November game. Foles' NFL career got off to a rough start, as he complete just 45.7 percent of his passes while also throwing two interceptions.

Result: Eagles lose 31-6, don't cover the spread (0 TD, 2 INT)

Kirk Cousins

Week 15: Washington at Cleveland -- Browns favored by 4

Round drafted: Fourth (102nd overall pick)

The Redskins are the only team on this list that had two quarterbacks make their first start on the road IN THE SAME YEAR. In his first game with the Redskins, Cousins thrived in Mike Shanahan's offense, throwing for 329 yards and two touchdowns to help Washington upset the Browns.

Result: Redskins win 38-21, cover the spread (2 TD, 1 INT)

2013

Matt McGloin

Week 11: Oakland at Houston -- Texans favored by 10.5

Round drafted: Undrafted

In what might have been the most shocking debut of any rookie on this list, McGloin took the country by storm in his first NFL start. In a game against the Texans, the undrafted free agent threw for 197 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Raiders to the win.

Result: Raiders win 28-23, cover the spread (3 TD, 0 INT)

2014

Derek Carr

Week 1: Oakland at N.Y. Jets -- Jets favored by 5.5

Round drafted: Second (36th overall pick)

This game wasn't really as close as the 19-14 final score indicates. The Raiders trailed 19-7 before scoring a touchdown with just under 90 seconds left. Carr was put in an impossible situation in this game and that's because he got no help from a Raiders ground attack that totaled just 25 yards. Carr threw for 158 yards and two touchdowns to keep this game close.

Result: Raiders lose 19-14, don't cover the spread (2 TD, 0 INT)

Connor Shaw

Week 17: Cleveland at Baltimore -- Ravens by 13.5

Round drafted: Undrafted

If you don't remember the name Connor Shaw, we can't blame you, and that's because this game ended up being the only start of his NFL career. In the Browns' season finale, Shaw threw for 177 yards in a 10-point loss. Shaw was basically served up as a sacrifice to a Ravens defense that sacked him four times.

Result: Browns lose 20-10, cover the spread (0 TD, 0 INT)

2015

Blake Bortles

Week 4: Jacksonville at San Diego -- Chargers favored by 12.5

Round drafted: First (third overall pick)

Although Bortles had a rough career in Jacksonville, he actually had a decent debut with the Jaguars. The quarterback threw for 254 yards and one touchdown and had the Jags close at halftime (17-14), before the Chargers were able to run away with the game in the second half.

Result: Jaguars lose 33-14, don't cover the spread (1 TD, 2 INT)

Marcus Mariota

Week 1: Tennessee at Tampa Bay -- Buccaneers favored by 3

Round drafted: First (Second overall pick)

The major selling point in Mariota's first game is that it was the No. 2 overall pick from 2015 (Mariota) going up against the No. 1 overall pick (Jameis Winston), and Mariota did his best to make the Bucs look foolish for not selecting him with the top pick. In what still ranks as one of the best games of his career, Mariota finished 13 of 15 for 209 yards and four touchdowns.

Result: Titans win 42-14, cover the spread (4 TD, 0 INT)

2016

Cody Kessler

Week 3: Cleveland at Miami -- Dolphins favored by 10

Round drafted: Third (93rd overall pick)

Kessler's debut came while playing for a horrible Browns team in 2016 that went 1-15, and he still almost led them to a win. In his first game, Kessler threw for 244 yards and played just well enough to send the game to overtime, where the Browns would go on to lose.

Result: Browns lose 30-24 in OT, don't cover the spread (0 TD, 0 INT)

2017

Patrick Mahomes

Week 17: Kansas City at Denver -- Broncos favored by 3

Round drafted: First (10th overall pick)

Mahomes almost didn't make this list, because he almost didn't start a game during his rookie year. However, Chiefs coach Andy Reid ended up giving him the start in Kansas City's season finale and Mahomes gave us a taste of what was to come. In his first game ever, Mahomes threw for 284 yards and a 27-24 win over the Broncos.

Result: Chiefs win 27-24, cover the spread (0 TD, 1 INT)

Deshaun Watson

Week 2: Houston at Cincinnati -- Bengals favored by 5

Round drafted: First (12th overall pick)

The first start of Watson's career didn't just come on the road, but it came on the road in a short week since the Texans had to play on a Thursday against the Bengals. Although Watson struggled through the air, throwing for just 125 yards, the speedy quarterback scored the only touchdown of the game on a 49-yard run that proved to be the game-winner.

Result: Texans win 13-9, cover the spread (0 TD, 0 INT)

Nathan Peterman

Week 11: Buffalo at L.A. Chargers -- Chargers favored by 7

Round drafted: Fifth (171st overall)

There's a good chance you remember the first start of Peterman's career and that's because it ended up being one of the ugliest games by any quarterback ever in NFL history. In a 30-point loss, Peterman was picked off five times in 14 passes before Bills coach Sean McDermott mercifully sent him to the bench.

Result: Bills lose 54-24, don't cover the spread (0 TD, 5 INT)

2018

Baker Mayfield

Week 4: Cleveland at Oakland -- Raiders favored by 2.5

Round drafted: First (first overall pick)

Although Mayfield's first appearance during his rookie year came in a comeback win over the Jets, he didn't get his first start until Week 4 when the Browns played in Oakland. Although Mayfield struggled at times, he led the Browns on two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter that helped send the game to overtime. Overall, Mayfield threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns, along with two interceptions.

Result: Browns lose 45-42 in OT, don't cover the spread (2 TD, 2 INT)

Sam Darnold

Week 1: N.Y. Jets at Detroit -- Lions favored by 7

Round drafted: First (third overall pick)

Darnold's debut got off to an ugly start when he threw a pick-six on the first offensive possession of his career, but he definitely able to shake that off. After the interception, Darnold only threw four more incompletions the rest of the game, finishing 16 of 21 for 198 yards and two touchdowns.

Result: Jets win 48-17, cover the spread (2 TD, 1 INT)

Kyle Allen

Week 17: Carolina at New Orleans -- Saints favored by 8

Round drafted: Undrafted

With Cam Newton hurting, the Panthers decided to keep him on the bench for their season finale, which meant Allen got the start. The good news for Allen is that he got to face a Saints team that was resting nearly all of its starters, and the quarterback definitely took advantage of that. Allen threw for 228 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

Result: Panthers win 33-14, cover the spread (2 TD, 0 INT)

2019

Gardner Minshew

Week 2: Jacksonville at Houston -- Texans favored by 7.5

Round drafted: Sixth (178th overall)

Minshew has only started one game, but his legend is already growing after his performance on Sunday against the Texans. In a game that went down to the wire, Minshew completed 23 of 33 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown pass was especially impressive because it came with 36 seconds left to play and almost gave Jacksonville the win. However, the Jags went home with a loss after Leonard Fournette got stuffed at the goal line on a two-point play that would have won it.

Result: Jaguars lose 13-12, cover the spread (1 TD, 0 INT)