There haven’t been many stories bigger in the last week’s NFL news cycle than Tommy DeVito, the New York Giants rookie quarterback who endeared himself quickly to fans during what looked like a lost season.
So it’s understandable that many were waiting with bated breath when DeVito hit his head hard on the turf and left Sunday’s game with the New Orleans Saints to enter concussion protocol. DeVito scrambled and slid to the ground but was hit by Saints cornerback Isaac Yiadom at the top of his slide; it was a clean hit by Yiadom, who was not fouled, but the whiplash from it sent DeVito’s head into the turf for what looked like a painful ricochet.
DeVito exited the game and headed to the locker room before halftime for further evaluation by the league’s independent neurological examiner. Backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor stepped in to close out that end-of-half drive and returned to handle the Giants’ next possession after the halftime break, going 2-for-4 for just 13 yards.
But DeVito cleared protocol and returned in the third quarter. He’ll need to make some plays with his Giants facing a manageable deficit, but the Saints defense is already firing on all cylinders with 4 sacks for a loss of 35 yards against the rookie standout.
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