There is one word that comes to mind after coach Brian Daboll announced Tuesday that Tommy DeVito — and not healed and ready to return Tyrod Taylor — will start for the Giants on Monday night when they come out of their bye week to face the surging Packers at MetLife Stadium.
Smart.
There is another word that should be relevant and a part of every decision. Sometimes it is, sometimes it is not.
Fair.
This is the smart direction for Daboll to take the Giants, keeping the effervescent DeVito on the field until there is a compelling reason to take him off the field. There is also a case to be made that this is not especially fair to Taylor, who is coming back from suffering four broken ribs and successfully beat the six-week recovery timeline assigned to him.
Can anyone say absolutely, positively that DeVito, the undrafted rookie, gives the Giants the better chance to win than Taylor, the 13-year NFL veteran and acknowledged top-level backup quarterback? No, no one can make that claim with any certitude. Daboll read the room, checked out the birth certificates, understood the contract status of the two players and made the right call.
Taylor, 34, is not expected to be on the team in 2024 — general manager Joe Schoen last week made a point of saying Taylor is not under contract after this season. DeVito, 25, is playing himself into contention to push for a future roster spot, along with Daniel Jones coming off reconstructive knee surgery and whichever quarterback Schoen decides to add, via the draft or free agency.
Given that the Giants are 4-8, there was no reason to pull a player who started and won the past two games, even if those games were against the rotten Commanders and more rotten Patriots. DeVito runs himself into too many sacks. He takes his shot (four touchdown passes in the past two games) but is not reckless (zero interceptions in the two wins) and is generally on target (68 percent) with his passes.
If things go haywire in this next game, if DeVito struggles and the Giants fail to produce the necessary points to hang with ascending Jordan Love and the Packers, there is always time to call on Taylor. The bloom, at present, is on DeVito’s rose and if it wilts he can be replaced just as easily as he was thrust into a starting role because he was the last man standing at the position. Daboll never said, “Tommy is our starter the rest of the way.’’
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If the Giants were sitting here at 8-4 and smack dab in the middle of the postseason discussion a stronger case could be made for Taylor. He has not played since injuring his rib cage more than a month ago, forced out of the game amid the ridiculous collapse in the 13-10 overtime loss to the Jets. He said two of the four fractured ribs were displaced and thus for a time there was concern for his internal organs.
This is a tough guy. He sued a Los Angeles Chargers doctor for allegedly causing a punctured lung with a pregame injection as treatment for a rib injury during the 2020 season. He has been around the block so often he could qualify as a mail carrier. In last year’s regular-season finale, Daboll opted to start third-string Davis Webb instead of Taylor, knowing Taylor would understand.
“It’s tough, it’s disappointing but it’s also out of my control,’’ Taylor said of not getting back his starting job. There were several pauses and “no comment’’ replies as he held court in front of his locker Tuesday. There is no doubt this hurt Taylor although it probably did not surprise him.
“I’ve been dealt, or I’ve had my fair share of hiccups along my career but I’ve been the same person since Day 1,’’ Taylor said.
Taylor messed up at the end of the first half in a 14-9 loss in Buffalo and tossed two touchdown passes in a 14-7 victory over the Commanders. He was a low-risk, low-mistake operator but much more aware of his surroundings than DeVito and a more capable scrambler when escaping the pocket. Taylor is 27-27-1 in his NFL career as a starter. He is a calming presence. DeVito is more kinetic.
Daboll said “those conversations are never easy’’ about informing the veteran he was not going to be the starter. “Had a good conversation with him and it was about what you would expect. He’s a true professional.’’
Taylor said getting back on the practice field gave him “a warm feeling’’ and he admitted that had nothing to do with any of this.
“It’s not really too much thought to how I feel or anything and it shouldn’t be,’’ he said. “The focus right now is to try to go get a win this Monday coming up.’’
Maybe DeVito gets it. Maybe he does not and Daboll turns back to Taylor. Stranger things could happen in an already-strange season.
