These are desperate times for the New York Giants. After another 2-8 start, they finally canned their underperforming quarterback, Daniel Jones, in an effort to create “a spark.”
With the Northeast (and the Giants) in the throes of a historic drought, is that even a good idea?
Is putting hometown hero Tommy DeVito back under center really the answer at this point? Or is this a red herring to draw attention away from the many problems of this organization?
The Giants are benching Jones for reasons they won’t admit, most of them financial, but the reality is they need to change the conversation.
They can do that by elevating their young players into key roles. But, they’re already doing that. They can make a coaching change, but co-owner John Mara isn’t feeling that at the moment. He’s been through too many coaching changes over the past decade and has said he is not planning on another one.
So, the only card they have left to play is the Cutlets Card. DeVito, who has been the Giants’ emergency quarterback all year and has not played a single snap this season, was leapfrogged over Drew Lock and thrust into the starting role.
The Giants are actually leaning on the celebrity status of DeVito to salvage what’s left of this garbage can of a season. That’s asking a lot of the Jersey product considering he is a player of limited ability.
Don’t get us wrong. DeVito is a legitimate NFL-level talent, but not as a starter. He was in the right role up until Monday which is as a third-string, emergency quarterback.
The Giants’ decision to turn back to DeVito is a clear indication they are out of ideas. They are desperate and there’s nothing that chaps Mara’s britches more than his team playing meaningless football in November in front of clusters of empty seats.
The Giants still have four home games remaining this season. They are hoping to capitalize on DeVito — the colorful former Don Bosco Prep star who burst onto the scene last year after Jones and backup Tyrod Taylor both got injured — creating some positive buzz.
The only issue here is that they’ve already played this card. It worked for a while and then it faded out. They are in such dire straits that they have no other cards to play. Sad.
DeVito played surprisingly well at times last season, compiling a 3-3 record with eight touchdowns against three interceptions, but his performance was not without warts.
DeVito had a knack for making plays, yes, but he also looked like a deer in the headlights on most snaps. His sack rate of 17.2 percent was unnerving. By comparison, former Jets bust Zach Wilson’s sack rate was a much lower 12.1 percent and it seemed like he was ravaged on every play.
But this is where the Giants are right now. Playing out the string and hoping a franchise quarterback somehow falls into their lap next March or April.
There are seven games remaining this season. The Giants are 0-5 at home and could challenge for the franchise record for fewest home wins in a season (0-7, 1974) but this will be far worse.
In 1974, they were a mess and were playing their home games at the Yale Bowl. This season, they are a mess again and can best that infamous record by losing three of their four remaining home games.
