The New York Giants are rolling with undrafted rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito as they make a difficult push for the playoffs beginning with a home game against the Green Bay Packers on Monday night.
Any chance of making the playoffs will likely require a win out, former tight end Kyle Rudolph told Fox News Digital, and DeVito can help make that happen.
“I think one of the things that the DeVito has provided for them is, he’s a guy who is just trying to prove that he belongs out there, and he wants to go out and win as many games as possible because he’s fighting for an opportunity to have a sustained job in the NFL,” said Rudolph, who played with the Giants during the 2021 season.
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“So each and every week that he gets the opportunity to go out and play, he’s trying to prove not only to the New York Giants, but to the 31 other teams ‘I deserve to be in this league. If I’m a quarterback on your roster and I’m in, I can win games for you.’ I think that’s the biggest thing for backup quarterbacks.”
Head coach Brian Daboll announced during a press conference on Tuesday that DeVito would remain the starter after leading the Giants to two straight wins. This happened despite the Giants opening Tyrod Taylor’s 21-day practice window on Monday.
“I think Tommy’s done a good job,” Daboll said Tuesday. “He’s improved in each of the games he’s played. I thought he played well the last two games, made good decisions, was accurate with the football and earned the right to play.”
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When asked if he felt DeVito gives the Giants the “best chance to win,” Daboll said, “Yeah, every decision we make is for that reason.”
Taylor lamented the decision, expressing the unfortunate timing of his rib injury and, ultimately, his return to health.
“Tommy has played, he’s stepped in and played well within the opportunities given to him,” Taylor told reporters Tuesday.
“Obviously, injury and time off is always tough. I would just say my injury, it just had bad timing to it. We’ve won two games – the last two games. Try to keep some momentum going forward. Obviously, yes, I want to be out there playing. Like I’ve told you before, I believe in timing and God’s timing and everything happens for a reason, so I’ll continue to keep trusting the process and taking it one day with the journey that God has put before me.”
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Rudolph echoed that sentiment, telling Fox News Digital that replacing DeVito with Taylor at this point would be a difficult decision to make.
“I think it would be really hard to take the ball out of the hands of a guy who’s won two straight games. Now, certainly, they haven’t lit the world on fire on offense, but ultimately they’ve won two games. And Tyrod is a professional. He’s a guy that’s been in this league for a long time. Obviously everybody wants to play. He wants to be the guy that goes out there and gets the ball on Sunday and has the ability to make plays for his team to win games. And knowing Tyrod as a professional that he is, he’ll prepare because again he’s one play away.”
The Giants will move on from the Packers and face the New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, the Los Angeles Rams and close out the regular season against the Eagles again.
“I think as a coach and as a player, you’re constantly focused on winning this week,” Rudolph said of the Giants’ approach in this final stretch. “And in our game, your job’s really never guaranteed.”
“Right now the entire team is completely focused on winning this week. And, they’ll try to do that over the next five weeks to close out with seven straight wins and get to 9-8.”
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