Brian Daboll: No Decision Yet on Starting Quarterback for Next Week

Giants head coach Brian Daboll said Drew Lock did some good things in the loss against Dallas.

Quarterbacks Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito. / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll told reporters that he has not decided which of Drew Lock or Tommy DeVito will be the team’s starter for their next game on December 8 against the New Orleans Saints.

“Yeah, we just got done watching this tape. We'll see where we're at,” Daboll said Friday. “We'll see where Tommy's at. We'll see where Drew's at. We'll make that decision today.”

Lock stepped in for DeVito, who injured his throwing forearm. DeVito initially didn’t make the trip with the team to Dallas, remaining behind to have further tests done, which ruled out any fractures. He joined his teammates later on Wednesday and insisted that had the game been on Sunday, he believes he would have been able to play.

Lock found out on Wednesday that he would be the starter and had a mixed bag. He finished 21 of 32 for 178 yards and one interception and had a lost fumble. Those two turnovers resulted in 14 points for the Cowboys. 

But Lock also ended up as the Giants’ leading rusher with 57 yards on four carries, a long of 28, and one touchdown. 

“I thought Drew did some good things yesterday,” Daboll said. “We got to clean up the turnovers. … We got to make sure we're taking care of the ball. Give our guys a chance down the field to make some plays.”

A deeper look at Lock’s performance showed that there wasn’t that much of a difference in the quarterback play the Giants have gotten all season long. 

To be fair, Lock’s pass protection was abysmal, as he took six sacks and was hit 14 times. Per Pro Football Focus, he was under pressure on 50% of his dropbacks, completing 8 of 12 for 81 yards. 

Lock also didn’t have much of a running game to help him out, and the starting offensive tackles, Chris Hubbard on the left and Evan Neal on the right, were completely overmatched on the edges. Hubbard and Neal allowed 12 of the 22 total pressures Lock faced. 

That said, Lock went zero for five on his deep pass attempts of 20+ yards, those throws appearing to lack any sort of timing or accuracy. But again, it’s fair to wonder if not having a full practice last week–the Giants held walkthroughs–was a factor. 

DeVito's tendency to protect the ball better certainly could work in his favor, assuming he’s healthy enough to play. But on the whole, Lock might have done enough to keep the starting job in what’s a lost season.

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