Tag: Tommy DeVito

Around the NFL: Drew Lock likely to start for Giants on Thanksgiving

Around the NFL: Drew Lock likely to start for Giants on Thanksgiving

It could very well be the dawn of a new era in the Big Apple. On Wednesday morning it was announced newly minted starting quarterback Tommy DeVito, who is dealing with a forearm injury sustained in New York’s blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is looking like he won’t be able to play on Thanksgiving. The Giants are slated to travel to Big D to take on the Cowboys, but DeVito might not be leading the charge.

Should DeVito be unable to go, it means third-stringer-turned-backup Drew Lock finds his way back into a starting position.

Last week, the Giants decided to move on from quarterback Daniel Jones. He was benched, demoted to third string, then ultimately cut by the team. However, Drew Lock did not take over the starting role, as he was named the backup. A decision Lock was rather disappointed in at the time.

Now, Lock is likely getting his chance to rectify the situation and prove what he can do. He won a game for the Seahawks last season, upsetting the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football – a game that showed he can still play winning football at a high level.

The 2-9 Giants have not won a game since they beat the Seahawks in Seattle during a Week 5 matchup. I think it is safe to say the 12th Man will be rooting for their former quarterback for two reasons:

  1. For his success, as Lock was nothing but a consummate professional for the Hawks, and helped save their 2023 season
  2. So the Seahawks are not the last (or perhaps only) victory the Giants claim in 2024

[lawrence-auto-related count=4 category=1360]

Giants’ Jermaine Eluemunor out, Tommy DeVito questionable vs. Cowboys

The New York Giants have ruled LT Jermaine Eluemunor out and QB Tommy DeVito as questionable against the Dallas Cowboys.

The New York Giants will take on the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on Thanksgiving Day and will enter the game shorthanded.

Left tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, who was already replacing Andrew Thomas (IR), has been ruled out due to a quad injury that forced him to exit a Week 12 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Additionally, quarterback Tommy DeVito, who was not on the team’s projected injury report this past Monday, has been given a questionable designation.

“Sore. My whole body’s kind of sore. First time playing in a while, took a couple shots. It’s not even 48 hours, so things are still kind of just settling in,” DeVito told reporters on Tuesday.

Full injury reports for both the Giants and Cowboys can be found below:

Luke Hales/Getty Images

New York Giants

Out: OL Jermaine Eluemunor (quad), DL Armon Watts (shoulder)

Doubtful: None

Questionable: CB Deonte Banks (rib), QB Tommy DeVito (forearm)

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Dallas Cowboys

Out: TE Jake Ferguson (concussion), OL Zack Martin (ankle/shoulder)

Doubtful: DE Marshawn Kneeland (knee)

Questionable: CB Trevon Diggs (groin/knee), LB Eric Kendricks (groin/shoulder), LB Nick Vigil (foot)

[lawrence-related id=736673,736711,736699]

Giants expected to make quarterback change for Thanksgiving game

The Giants are expected to start ex-Broncos QB Drew Lock on Thanksgiving after losing Tommy DeVito to a forearm injury.

The New York Giants are expected to have a new starting quarterback when they face the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving.

After benching and then cutting Daniel Jones last week, the Giants surprisingly named Tommy DeVito their starter. That was an unexpected move because Drew Lock had served as the team’s No. 2 quarterback behind Jones up until Jones was benched. (Jones, meanwhile, has landed with the Minnesota Vikings.)

Lock now appears to be set to start against the Cowboys after DeVito suffered a forearm injury. DeVito did not practice on Wednesday and he is not flying with the team to Dallas, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

That presumably means Lock will start on Thanksgiving Day.

Lock, 28, was picked by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft out of Missouri. He went 8-13 as a starter in Denver before being traded to the Seattle Seahawks as part of the Russell Wilson trade in 2022.

Lock served as Geno Smith’s backup from 2022-2023 and went 1-1 as a fill-in starter for two games last season. Thursday will mark his first start with the Giants and his first start in a regular-season game since Dec. 18 last year.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Giants vs. Cowboys: 3 reasons for optimism in Week 13

The New York Giants visit the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in Week 13, and here are three reasons for optimism.

The New York Giants will face the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday in a Thanksgiving Day battle between the two bottom-feeders in the NFC East.

Each team will start a backup quarterback after the Cowboys lost Dak Prescott to a season-ending injury and the Giants released Daniel Jones, who remains unsigned.

The Giants are coming off their sixth straight loss in Week 12 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They were humiliated, 30-7.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys beat the Washington Commanders this past Sunday, snapping their five-game losing streak.

Both teams will be on short rest. However, the Giants may have a slight leg up given they are one week removed from their bye week.

Here are three reasons for optimism ahead of Week 13.

Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Cowboys against the run

Like the Giants, the Cowboys’ ability to stop the run this season has been underwhelming, to say the least. Coincidentally, one of the few bright spots for the Giants this season has been rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr. — when he’s not fumbling.

The Giants would be wise to lean on Tracy heavily during the game on Thursday. Opponents have rushed 50 percent of the time against Dallas, largely because the Cowboys are giving up 4.8 yards per carry, which is fifth most in the league.

Luke Hales/Getty Images

Cowboys’ lacking ground game

On the other side of the ball, the Cowboys have had a rough go when it comes to the running game this year. Due to their lack of success, the Cowboys are running the ball just under 34 percent of the time, the second-lowest percentage in the league. They average 3.7 yards per carry and 82.5 yards per game on the ground — both rank 31st in the league.

This will be the worst running attack the Giants have faced all season and New York should expect the Cowboys to be pretty one-dimensional.

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Turnover differential

The Cowboys have the third-worst turnover differential on the season at -9.

The Giants offense really struggled to have any success moving the ball down the field on Sunday with Tommy DeVito under center. However, if DeVito and the Giants have some extra opportunities due to turnovers, that could drastically help their chances of winning Sunday.

[lawrence-related id=736670,736649,736635]

Giants injury report: Tommy DeVito at risk of missing Cowboys game

New York Giants QB Tommy DeVito was added to Tuesday’s injury report and is at risk of missing a Thanksgiving Day game against Dallas.

The New York Giants took the field on Tuesday for a walkthrough practice ahead of their Week 13 game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Beforehand, head coach Brian Daboll met with reporters and revealed that quarterback Tommy DeVito was added to the injury report with a forearm issue.

“If we were practicing today, it’s a walkthrough, he would be limited. His forearm is sore, and we’ll see where we’re at. We had a walkthrough right before this. It is sore, so we’ll see where we’re at here,” Daboll said.

“He threw in the walkthrough. I wouldn’t say it’s timing or a lot of depth to it or velocity to it, but he was throwing in the walkthrough. He’s going to test it out here today in practice in another walkthrough. So, I’m hopeful, but it’s not 100 percent.”

Daboll added that he was “hopeful” both DeVito and right tackle Evan Neal will play, but was less optimistic regarding edge rusher Azeez Ojulari, defensive tackle Armon Watts, and left tackle Jermaine Eluemunor.

The Giants’ full Tuesday injury report can be found below:

Did not participate: OL Jermaine Eluemunor (quad), LB Azeez Ojulari (toe), DT Armon Watts (shoulder)

Limited participant: QB Tommy DeVito (forearm), OL Evan Neal (hip), CB Deonte Banks (rib), DT D.J. Davidson (shoulder), TE Theo Johnson (back), LB Micah McFadden (thumb/heel), S Tyler Nubin (back)

Full participant: NT Dexter Lawrence (knee)

[lawrence-related id=736635,736629,736645]

Giants vs. Cowboys: 3 causes for concern in Week 13

The New York Giants square off in a Thanksgiving Day battle against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 13. Here are three causes for concern.

The New York Giants will take their six-game losing streak on the road for a game against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day.

The Giants are coming off a 30-7 loss in Week 12 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys, who host a game on Thanksgiving every year, will be coming off a dramatic win against the Washington Commanders in Week 12 where there were 41 points scored between the two teams in the fourth quarter.

Both teams will be on short rest playing on Thursday. The Giants had their bye week in week 11, which was dominated by the benching and eventual release of Daniel Jones.

The Giants opened up as 3.5-point road underdogs for this game, the 26th time in the last 27 games the Giants will be underdogs.

Here are three causes for concern ahead of Thursday.

Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

The Circus goes to Dallas

The Giants have been one of the worst teams in the league this year and while everyone wanted to pin the blame on the quarterback, the truth is, the Giants haven’t done much right, period. Last week, there was a glaring lack of effort and the post-game comments from a number of players were telling about the current status of the locker room.

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys Defensive Line

The Cowboys have had a down season. However, they are still a top-10 team when it comes to sack percentage. Micah Parsons always presents a threat and has been dominant against the Giants over the course of his young career. The Giants’ offensive line hasn’t been the same since Andrew Thomas went down. Protecting Tommy DeVito will be a challenge for the Giants Offensive Line on Thursday.

Ron Jenkins/Getty Images

Thursday games against the Cowboys

Both historically and recently, the Giants have not played well against the Cowboys, with Dallas winning 14 of their last 15 meetings.

The Giants also don’t play well historically against Dallas on Thursdays and have an 0-4 all-time record. They have also not faired well on primetime and have a four-game losing streak when playing on Thanksgiving as well.

On top of all those trends, the Giants are also just a bad team this year. They already lost to Dallas on Thursday night in Week 4 and are 0-3 against the NFC East division this season.

[lawrence-related id=736629,736645,736638]

Brian Daboll says he cleared the air with Malik Nabers, Giants players

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll had to quell a locker room revolt, including WR Malik Nabers, after the team’s sixth straight loss.

Frustration set in after the New York Giants dropped their sixth straight game on Sunday at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium.

Players were very critical of the effort, each other, and the game plan. They also appeared to be questioning the overall direction of the franchise.

This year’s first-round pick, wide receiver Malik Nabers, was “pissed” that he was not targeted in the first half of the game.

“First, second quarter, I don’t get the ball,” Nabers said after the game. “Start getting targets at the end. I mean, can’t do nothing. Start getting the ball when it’s 30-0. What do you want me to do?”

Nabers is right. He was brought in to make a difference and set the tone on offense. He can’t do that unless he has the ball. After all, he can’t throw it to himself.

Nabers was asked why he doesn’t get the ball earlier in games.

“Talk to Dabes about that,” Nabers said. “They come up to me and ask me what plays I want and that was that. I don’t know.”

On Monday, Brian Daboll said that he spoke to Nabers about his candid comments.

“Leek and I talked last night,” he told reporters. “We talked this morning. He’s a very competitive individual. Again, you want to get the ball in his hands, and I got to do a better job of getting the ball in his hands, early. He’s a smart, young guy that is very competitive. When you lose like that, it’s a frustrating thing. But we’ve had good communication, as we always have.”

That didn’t answer the question of why Nabers was ignored in the first half while the Giants were getting overrun by the Bucs to the tune of 23-0.

Nabers was questionable for the game with a groin injury and perhaps the team didn’t want to overwork him. Plus, this was quarterback Tommy DeVito’s first game action in nearly a year and with Nabers as a teammate, so there’s that.

Nabers looked fine in the second half, catching six of nine targets for 64 yards. The horses were out of the barn by that time, with the low-scoring Giants facing an insurmountable 30-point deficit.

Nabers has not been accustomed to such losing and futility in his life, coming from SEC powerhouse LSU.

“I hate losing more than I like winning,” Nabers said.

Considering he’s played in just one win (Week 5 in Seattle) in his Giant career, he’s no expert. The Giants have lost their last six games and when their next win is coming is not guaranteed.

[lawrence-related id=736610,736582,736588]

Malik Nabers bluntly said the Giants’ miserable losses aren’t because of their quarterbacks

If Malik Nabers thinks the Giants QBs aren’t their problem, then who is? Oh. Right.

Amid another lost season for the New York Giants, they can’t escape any drama.

Instead of simply releasing ex-maligned starting quarterback Daniel Jones, they benched him for Tommy DeVito and forced him to play scout team safety. The Giants are almost certainly preparing to draft a new quarterback this coming April, so they want the deck cleared.

But stud rookie receiver Malik Nabers seemingly has a stark warning about that thought process. After the Giants took a 30-7 loss on the chin from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Nabers said he doesn’t think the reason the 2-9 Giants keep losing is because of their quarterback play — even though Jones and DeVito are both awful in their own unique ways.

Oh? Then who could it be? Oh, right. Nabers didn’t elaborate upon who the Giants’ real issue was after bringing this to light, but he almost certainly knew what he was doing by making this statement in public:

If Nabers is implying what I think he’s implying, then the Giants’ main problem is the duo between general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll.

Schoen has very few draft and free-agent hits in three years on the job in New York. He’s also the GM who gave Jones a contract extension after a fluky playoff campaign in 2022 and who built the offensive line that let DeVito get sacked four times against an underwhelming Tampa Bay defense on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Daboll had a respected reputation as a quarterback whisperer after helping Josh Allen on the Buffalo Bills. But he’s also three years into the job, and the Giants have no identity in any phase. Oh, and Daboll probably ran off one of the NFL’s best defensive coordinators over a personality squabble.

At this rate, the Giants might need a full reset. They should consider firing both Schoen and Daboll in the offseason. That’s because their underwhelming body of work does not merit getting a fourth year together.

If Nabers won’t say it, I’ll say it for him.

WATCH: Baker Mayfield taunts the new Giants starting QB after touchdown

For an unknown reason, Mayfield copied Tommy DeVito’s touchdown celebration after diving into the endzone for the score. 

Baker Mayfield has been a confident player throughout his football career, regardless of the level he has played at. On Sunday against the New York Giants, Mayfield demonstrated that confidence in the form of a taunt directed at the new Giants starting quarterback.

For an unknown reason, Mayfield copied Tommy DeVito’s touchdown celebration after diving into the endzone for the score.

The Bucs have been all over the Giants in the first half, not allowing them to get much going offensively. The team has sacked the aforementioned DeVito three times and has three more registered quarterback hits on him.

Mayfield is 19 for 23 passing with 230 yards in the first half alone. His lone touchdown came on this scramble, but he has been much more efficient through the air.

The return of Mike Evans doesn’t hurt things, of course, but Cade Otton is also playing well despite the added presence of their All-Pro wide receiver.

Buccaneers blasting Daniel Jones-less Giants

The Buccaneers clobbered the Giants in the first half

Well, it looks like Daniel Jones wasn’t the problem with the New York Giants.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers rolled into MetLife Stadium on Sunday and rolled over the Giants for 23 unanswered points in the first half.

Baker Mayfield threw for 230 yards and had a rushing touchdown on 19-of-23 passing.

Mayfield did the Tommy Cutlets celebration after the TD. One former Giant took to Twitter saying the team needed to reply.

Tommy DeVito was 3-of-5 passing as the Giants were asleep on offense.