Why Tommy DeVito Got Just One Snap in Giants' 14-11 Loss to Saints

Head coach Brian Daboll explained the reason, but it's sort of a head scratcher.

Dec 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito (15) reacts during the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Saints at MetLife Stadium. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

In a somewhat telling state of affairs as to just how concerning the New York Giants quarterback situation is, if you tuned into the game and blinked, you probably missed a cameo appearance by quarterback Tommy DeVito, who came in for one play during the Giants’ 14-11 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

DeVito entered the game with 9:02 left in the fourth quarter on a 1st-and-10 from the Giants’ 33-yard line, his entrance receiving a round of applause from those still in their seats at that point in the game.

The Giants lined up in shotgun formation but the play was a handoff to running back Tyrone Tracy, Jr, who went up the middle and gained one yard on the play. As soon as the play was over, DeVito ran off the field and starter Drew Lock returned.

After the game, head coach Brian Daboll was asked why DeVito came in for only one play and if it had anything to do with Lock having been injured or an equipment issue.

“We had a few plays for Tommy in this game,” Daboll revealed. “We only got to the one. It happened to be a kind of zone read, but it wasn’t just all zone reads. It was a few plays in there.”  

Obviously a team with a more stable quarterback situation isn’t going to resort to a potential rotation or split snaps between two quarterbacks, but the Giants are now at that point where as they play out the string of their 2024 season, they’re trying anything and everything to stay in games.

Lock, for what it’s worth, finished 21 of 49 for 227 yards and one interception. He was sacked twice and ended his second game as a starter for the Giants with a 48.6 passer rating.

Since being elevated to the starting role two weeks ago, Lock is 42 of 81 (51.8%) for 405 yards, no passing touchdowns and two interceptions. But he’s also had receivers drop six of his passes and has been sacked eight times in two games. Per Pro Football Focus, he has an adjusted completion percentage this year of 67.5%.

Lock has been slightly more productive as a runner, recording 106 yards on nine carries (11.7 yards per carry average), with one rushing touchdown and one fumble.

The Giants are expected to revamp their quarterback room in the offseason, where early expectations are that they will turn to the draft to find their next franchise quarterback. But they could also potentially be auditioning Lock for a role as a bridge quarterback next year, which might explain why Lock has “Wally Pipp’ed” DeVito for the starting job.

Regardless, the Giants quarterback situation is a major mess that has also played a significant role in the team’s decline and which is one that will get worse before it gets better.

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See Also

• Have Giants HC Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen Sealed Their Respective Fates?

• Giants Kicker Graham Gano Explains What Happened on Blocked Field Goal Attempt

• New York Giants Week 14 Report Card: Plane Ugly

• New York Giants Injury Update: Potential Bad News for Offensive Line

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