NFL Week 11 Awards: Tommy DeVito’s Commanders win is one Giants will greatly regret

Tommy DeVito is a lovely story but he’s only hurting the Giants’ future.

I’m usually never one to frown upon a good story. I love seeing things like the awkward guy getting the girl next door, the massive underdogs impossibly saving the day, and the flawed hero successfully confronting their past. These are stories that hold true because they speak to us and are relatable on a deep level.

In time, Tommy DeVito might be one of those heartwarming stories.

After throwing for 246 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-19 New York Giants win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday, it’s starting to look like this stereotypical kid from North Jersey (I mean this literally) might really belong in the NFL. And as great as that is for anyone who loves rooting for the underdog to impossibly save the day, DeVito playing well is bad news for the Giants.

Why? Because they are 3-8, have nothing to “save” anymore in 2023, and need a legitimate quarterback of the future. History may well prove me wrong, but I’m pretty comfortable asserting DeVito isn’t about to become the next Tom Brady. Suppose he continues to play well and somehow win more games for Big Blue. In that case, he’s just gonna be known as the guy who prevented the organization from drafting a legitimate long-term replacement like Southern California’s Caleb Williams or North Carolina’s Drake Maye. Heck, with this victory over the Commanders, DeVito might have already achieved the dubious honor.

This could be a black mark Giants fans won’t look fondly upon:

There is a silver lining. DeVito has more career multi-touchdown passing games (two) than Kenny Pickett. What a high bar:

The hapless Giants aren’t going to give up on the season. Kudos to them and DeVito for continuing to play hard. They’re professionals. They should treat every game seriously and approach their fans’ emotional investments with care. But if general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll want any semblance of a bright future, they better be careful unleashing the King of North Jersey any further.

Because he risks sullying everything with his cliche and rote underdog story.

Elsewhere, in For The Win’s Week 11 NFL awards, we’ve got the bumbling Chicago Bears collapsing. We’ve got the bumbling Pittsburgh Steelers overanalyzing Myles Garrett for any hijinks. Heck, we’ve even got the bumbling Los Angeles Chargers dropping not one but two unfortunate touchdown passes in a one-score loss. It’s a cornucopia of accidental pro football incompetence as we near Thanksgiving, dearest readers.

Let’s dive into all this madness.