The moment that Italian American NFL fans had been waiting for all season long happened last week as Tommy DeVito took the field for the New York Giants. However, the excitement quickly turned to embarrassment as New York struggled to get into a rhythm offensively in a game where the opposing quarterback even taunted DeVito with an Italian-inspired touchdown celebration. Then, just four days later, Tommy Cutlets found himself back on the sidelines with a forearm injury that allowed backup QB Drew Lock to assume the starting role against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving. Now, with just one start under his belt in the 2024 season, DeVito is at risk of a permanent return to the bench as head coach Brian Daboll was noncommittal on which quarterback would start in Week 14.
When asked if he was leaning in a particular direction when it comes to his team’s starting quarterback for their upcoming game against the New Orleans Saints if both players are healthy, Daboll said “We’ll see where we’re at. We’ll see where Tommy’s at. We’ll see where Drew’s at. We’ll make that decision today.”
“We’ll evaluate the two games that both of those guys played, and look I thought Drew did some good things yesterday,” Daboll continued. “We got to, obviously, clean up the turnovers. Turnovers, the ones that were seven points to the defense, and then back up when we get some points. We got to make sure we’re taking care of the ball. Give our guys a chance down the field to make some plays.”
Drew Lock was the culprit of both turnovers, throwing an interception and allowing a fumble in the 27-20 loss in Dallas. However, the quarterback did show flashes of potential as he completed 21/32 passes for 178 yards along with 57 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. Meanwhile, DeVito put up similar numbers in his only start of the year against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, also connecting on 21 pass attempts while posting 189 passing yards and 32 rushing yards.
While it is hard to say whether the New York Giants are leaning one way or another in terms of starting DeVito or Lock, it is possible that Tommy Cutlets has a slight advantage considering his level of play during his last stretch as starting QB in 2023. Over the course of six starts in his rookie season, DeVito threw for over 1,000 yards and 8 touchdowns, claiming three wins and NFC Week 14 Offensive Player of the Week honors in the process.
As Coach Daboll mulls over his preferred approach heading into next Sunday, Italian Americans across the country will be hoping that Tommy DeVito gets one more chance to show what he’s made of before New York’s disappointing 2024 campaign comes to a close.
