Could the Giants turn to fan-favorite backup quarterback to start after bye week?

Dec 11, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito (15) reacts before the game against the Green Bay Packers at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
Credit: Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

The New York Giants are considering a change at quarterback during their bye week. Daniel Jones has struggled this season and seems likely to be benched following an abysmal performance in the team’s Week 10 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

Head coach Brian Daboll said he will be “evaluate everything” at practice this week when asked about a potential quarterback change, which seems likely to happen. During his evaluation, could Daboll be keeping an eye on which of his two backup quarterbacks is best suited to take over the starting job?

Could Tommy DeVito steal the job from Drew Lock?

Nov 8, 2024; Munich, Germany; New York Giants quarterbacks Drew Lock (2) and Tommy DeVito (15) during practice at the FC Bayern Munchen training grounds at Sabener Strasse.  Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The expectation is for backup quarterback Drew Lock to take over as the starter if Jones is benched this week. Lock stepped in for Jones in Week 7 after Daboll pulled his starter for the fourth quarter. Lock went 3/8 for six yards passing.

Considering Lock’s struggles in his limited playing time, the Giants might not be married to the idea of him stepping in as the starter once Jones is benched. Part of Daboll’s evaluation during the bye could potentially be an analysis of which backup quarterback performs better in practice this week: Drew Lock or Tommy DeVito.

DeVito is a fan-favorite who stole the hearts of Giants fans as a hometown hero last season. While Lock makes sense to start as the second-string quarterback, DeVito’s clutch wins from last season could help fuel a jump back into the starting lineup if he’s the top-performing quarterback in practice during the bye week.

DeVito helped the Giants win games last season

Aug 24, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito (15) passes the ball against the New York Jets during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images
Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Tommy Cutlets stepped in and led the Giants to a three-game winning streak as an undrafted rookie last season. His play wasn’t perfect, as he averaged only 122.3 passing yards per game with an 8-3 TD-INT ratio. However, with six starts under his belt, and another full summer of training camp and practice, DeVito could be a more developed and better player.

Despite his imperfect stats, DeVito still led the G-Men to a 3-3 record as the starter and made some clutch plays to help his team find wins. His game-winning touchdown drive on primetime against the Green Bay Packers was the Giants’ highlight victory of the 2023-24 season.

Daboll and company need to pick up some wins down the final stretch of the season in order to stay off the hot seat. There is growing speculation that jobs could be in jeopardy following a 2-8 start to the campaign. DeVito might give the Giants the best chance of winning football games — a trait that a win-starving Daboll might value highly.

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