July 7, 2024

Suppose someone had told you several weeks ago when the New York Giants were sitting at -8, with questions about the coaching staff, the roster, the direction of the franchise, and more swirling around faster than the usual postgame litter found in the MetLife Stadium parking lots that this team would be one game out of the playoff hunt. Wouldn’t you have believed it? No, neither would we, yet here we are, looking at a Giants team that has won three games in a row and has been playing a lot better in prior areas of weakness (the offensive line, the offense in general, and defensively), and which has fans excited about what could happen. What could happen–and to be clear, it’s still a longshot–is that this Giants team will finish with a strong enough record to eke into the playoffs. Again, it’s a longshot–having two games against the Eagles doesn’t help matters for a Giants team that would have to run the table to sneak in. Even if the Giants were to get in, they likely wouldn’t go very far.

Or would they? Head coach Brian Daboll’s team has shown grit, determination, and a no-quit attitude that has surprisingly powered it through significant adversity this season. “One year has nothing to do with the next. One game has nothing to do with the next. This is a tough league for everybody–you have to be able to handle the ups, and you have to be able to handle the downs,” said head coach Brian Daboll. “You don’t accept the downs, I’ll tell you that. There are a lot of things that you have to do better to try to get yourself out of a rut. That’s everybody, that starts with me. You don’t get too high when things are going, and you’re winning a few games. Because this league is a humbling league.”

Although the season isn’t quite what anyone expected, that the locker room has stayed together and there haven’t been some of the horrors of past regimes that have seen their tenures go south is a testament to the character of those in the building. “I’ve been a part of teams where it can go two different ways,” receiver Sterling Shepard told me for the Locked On Giants podcast. “It can go downhill from getting a couple of losses in a row, or you got guys that are mentally tough and able to turn things around and go the right direction. “Everybody has the mindset of turning things around. We knew that things wouldn’t always be how we wanted them to be throughout the season. We had to fight through some hard times, and that’s what we’ve done. And the guys have been able to persevere and get to the point where we are today. We must take it one week at a time, and we all understand that.”

Daboll appreciates that.

“I appreciate is the players and the coaches sticking together, working through things, having a strong commitment to improve, being good teammates,” he said. “Those are all important things for all of us, regardless of your position, to be able to do those things. I’ve got a lot of appreciation for our team and for the people in our building. It’s never going to be easy. It could be as good as one week or as bad the next week. So, got to keep the focus where it needs to be.” The attitude is great, but if the Giants want to continue rolling toward a surprise playoff berth, they still have a lot to clean up, such as the blunders on special teams, the failures on short yardage and third down, and the missed tackles (nine per Pro Football Focus). Will that attitude carry the Giants through to a fourth straight win at a venue that has been a house of horrors for them to visit? That’s just one of the many questions facing the team this week. Here are some others. THE HOUSE OF HORRORS Since we mentioned the Caesars Superdome and what a challenge it’s been for the Giants to find success in, let’s start there.

New York is 5-8 in that building since its opening in August 1975. In four of those wins over the Giants, the Saints have scored at least 45 points. And some very weird things have happened in games the Giants have played down there–anyone remember the famous 52-49 loss in November 2015, for example? But venue aside, the Saints have as much, if not more, at stake in this week’s game. Sitting with 6-7 record, New Orleans is currently in a three-way tie for first place in the NFC South with Atlanta and Tampa Bay. Snapping the Giants’ three-game winning streak would go a long way toward helping the black and gold reach that goal.

DEVITO MANIA Move over, Travis and Taylor. DeVito Mania is sweeping through the NFL. That’s because the Giants current quarterback, Tommy DeVito, an undrafted rookie free agent who was supposed to be developing on the practice squad, has taken the league by storm in leading the Giants to the three-game above winning streak. On Monday night, the man nicknamed “Tommy Cutlets” for his love of chicken cutlets completed 17 of 21 passes (81%) for 158 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions for a passer rating of 113.9 – his third game with a rating higher than 100.0.

DeVito has not thrown an interception in his last 87 passes and has shown a much better feel in the pocket. He’s been so good that he has the undivided attention of his teammates, who the rookie’s play has galvanized. “As soon as Tommy DeVito stepped on and stepped into the building, he had an air about him and a sense of confidence,” Shepard said. “Everybody feeds off of it.” Not bad for a quarterback who doesn’t warm up before a game. “Yeah, he just goes out there, and he does it–he plays his game,” Shepard said. “But he’s super confident in what he does, and that gives everybody else confidence in him.”

He’s also become something of a media darling thanks to his sharing that he still lives at home where his mother does everything for him, right down to making his bed. “He’s just a special player, and the things that he’s been able to do over the past few weeks, getting us some Ws and putting us in this position, just speak volumes about him,” Shepard said. “He doesn’t act like a rookie at all. You see some guys who are slow starts, and that’s not him. He’s ready to roll at all times.” If DeVito notches another win against the Saints, his legend will grow.

INJURY STATUS The Giants came out of their game against the Packers relatively clean regarding injuries, but there are still a few guys that are banged up that the team would no doubt like to get on the field more. Dexter Lawrence, for example, was on a pitch count Monday night after returning from a hamstring strain that kept him out of the team’s Week 12 game. Will Lawrence, who is expected to be limited in practice this week, remain on a pitch count given the short work week?

And what about tackle Evan Neal (ankle), who is champing at the bit to get back out of the field but who thus far has missed so much time that it’s beginning to look like that might not happen? Even if it does happen, considering how well the offensive line has settled down to play these last few weeks, does it even make sense to put Neal back on the field if he’s ready, especially with the Giants trying to drive for a strong finish?

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *