New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll decided to bench Tommy DeVito in favor of Tyrod Taylor at halftime of the team’s Christmas Day loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in order to try and provide a spark.
Yes, the Giants were behind 20-3 after the first half, and yes, they did score 15 unanswered points in the third quarter, but how much of that comeback was a result of Taylor?
Taylor went just 7-for-16 with 133 yards, a touchdown and an interception. DeVito went 9-for-16 with 55 yards, so yes, Taylor was a bit more productive, but was the extra production really worth the quarterback switch?
Here is the thing: New York was 5-9 going into the Eagles matchup. It is now 5-10. It is not contending for a playoff spot. Its postseason hopes have long been over.
So why would you go from a 25-year-old with plenty to prove for a 33-year-old who has already demonstrated he is nothing more than a very good backup quarterback on the NFL level?
See, when you look at the Atlanta Falcons going from Desmond Ridder to Taylor Heinicke, it makes sense because they are in the playoff race. Otherwise, opting to bench the young Ridder in favor of an obvious backup in his 30s would just be weird.
But yet, that is exactly what Daboll did on Monday night, and I can’t really comprehend it.
It’s not like DeVito was playing so horrendously that it called for a substitution. He didn’t throw any interceptions. He didn’t fumble. He was only sacked once.
What exactly was the issue? Did Daboll seriously think the Giants had a chance of beating the Eagles and still making the playoffs? I understand that New York technically wasn’t mathematically eliminated until after losing to Philadelphia, but come on. We all knew the Giants weren’t qualifying for the postseason.
New York is clearly in rebuilding mode. It will almost certainly move on from Daniel Jones this offseason, and more than likely, it will take a quarterback in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Taking all of that into consideration, isn’t it at least worth giving DeVito a shot and seeing what he has over these last couple of games? After all, he led Big Blue to three straight wins in an otherwise lost season, so I think the Giants owe it to him to at least see him through the end of 2023.
Taylor is not the future for New York at quarterback. Again, he is 33 years old. He will be 34 by the start of next season. He is what he is at this point: a very capable backup.
To be fair, DeVito probably isn’t much of anything, either. He, too, is probably a backup. But he at least deserves a chance to show if he can be more than that.
The Giants are slated to battle the Los Angeles Rams next weekend before ending the season with the second leg of their divisional matchups with the Eagles on Jan. 7. Starting Taylor in either of those games would be pointless. Even if he is a better player than DeVito right now, it would be an exercise in futility to start him. It would benefit New York to lose games right now.
Daboll and the Giants’ front office should make the smart decision and start DeVito the rest of the way. Both games will be at home, so they should be manageable for DeVito and the offense.
Tommy DeVito may not be the future, but we’ll never know unless New York gives him a shot.
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