Tyrod in, Tommy out.
That is the way it will be Sunday when the Giants face the Rams at MetLife Stadium. Tyrod Taylor will start at quarterback, replacing Tommy DeVito.
That is the word from coach Brian Daboll, who made the announcement Wednesday prior to putting his team through a walk-through practice. Thus ends the Tommy Cutlets phenomenon for now.
“I thought Ty did some good things in the second half [in] Philly, so I thought he earned the right to start this game,’’ Daboll said.
This, clearly, is about Daboll’s belief in which quarterback gives the Giants a better chance to beat the high-flying Rams, who are 8-7 and firmly in the NFC playoff picture after rolling to five wins in their last six games. If this was strictly about development, DeVito, 25, would remain the starter to see if he could be a viable option in 2024 as a backup.
Taylor, 34, is unsigned for next season and there is no indication the Giants are interested in bringing him back.
DeVito is signed for next season and he will have the opportunity in the spring and summer to establish a place for himself on the roster as Daniel Jones heals from his reconstructive knee surgery.
This is about the here and now for Daboll and the Giants, who are 5-10 and eliminated from playoff contention.
It will be Taylor who is given the keys to an offense that has mostly sagged and struggled, no matter who is at the controls.
On cue, the level-headed Taylor handled the news in stride—much like he did three weeks ago after hearing he would not return to the starting lineup after coming off injured reserve.
“Life is a roller coaster; how you endure the storms and how you endure the ups and downs, I think, speaks to your character,’’ Taylor said.
Do not mistake Taylor’s stoicism for ambivalence, though.
“It means everything to me,’’ he said. “I’ve been playing this game for a long time and anytime I get a chance to lace up the cleats and go out and compete means the world to me. That’s where I’m the happiest, and it’s what I love to do—to be able to go out and not only show your peers but prove to yourself what you could do.’’
DeVito started Christmas Day against the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, his sixth consecutive start. He completed 9 of 16 passes for only 55 yards as the Giants trailed 20-3 at halftime, managing only 101 total yards of offense.
Daboll, saying he was looking for a spark, benched DeVito and Taylor got the call in the second half.
Taylor looked rusty, missing throws to Saquon Barkley and Darren Waller that he needed to make.
He completed 7 of 16 passes for 133 yards, including a 69-yard touchdown hookup to Darius Slayton in an eventual 33-25 loss, the Giants’ 11th straight setback at the Linc. Taylor also ran twice for 21 yards.
“Tyrod did some good stuff in the second half,’’ Daboll said. “I’d just say Ty’s a pro, acquitted himself well and has earned this opportunity.’’
It was fun while it lasted for the Giants, with DeVito moving in after injuries to Jones and Taylor made him the emergency starting quarterback. DeVito, an undrafted rookie, struggled in his first NFL start, a 49-17 loss in Dallas, and then ran off three consecutive victories, beating the Commanders, Patriots and Packers in a 24-22 upset.
DeVito tossed three touchdown passes against Washington and was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in guiding the Giants past the Packers.
That allowed the DeVito mania to flourish, as the Cedar Grove, N.J., native became an instant celebrity for his Italian hand-gesture celebration, his live-at-home story and his admitted fondness for his mother’s chicken cutlets.
DeVito did not do much of anything in a 24-6 loss to the Saints in New Orleans and after a sluggish first half in Philadelphia, Daboll pulled the plug. DeVito hits the bench, having not thrown an interception in his last 137 passes. He did not see the field clearly enough to make plays that were available to him against the Eagles, which led to the decision to go with the far-more experienced Taylor.
DeVito said that during the last month, he learned that playing at the highest level is not too big for him.
“That I belong. In the NFL, specifically,’’ he said. “I mean, just to go out and prove that to myself. To the younger me, to the me that was training to be here to this point:
Taylor started three games earlier this season, losing in Buffalo, beating the Commanders and losing to the Jets. He was forced out of that Week 8 overtime loss to the Jets with an injury that was later revealed to be four fractured ribs. Taylor, a 13-year veteran, is 27-27-1 in his career as a starter. DeVito is 3-3.
