Tommy DeVito belongs in the NFL. He is worth developing. You want it to be right here, as a New York Giant, a short trip down the road from where he lives at his parents’ Cedar Grove, N.J., home. Tommy Cutlets won’t play in Peoria. Tommy Cutlets plays deliciously right here in our backyard.
Barring a serious injury to Daniel Jones or Drew Lock, the party line has been that there will be no room for him at the Joe Schoen-Brian Daboll Inn, only on the practice squad again if he clears waivers. Same deal as last preseason. Before we came to know him as Tommy Cutlets.
To hell with that.
Keep him.
Do not expose him to anyone else.
So there he was on a rainy Thursday night in the preseason opener against the Lions at WetLife Stadium, the 14-3 winner, making his case to someone, anyone smart enough to keep believing in him, as a backup quarterback.
“It’s not my first NFL game anymore,” DeVito said.
That was evident to Daboll.
“He’s getting better,” Daboll said. “I think he’s got firm control of the offense. The guys have a lot of confidence in him. I have confidence in him. He’s really come a long way since he’s been here. Keep on developing him.
“Quarterbacks are hard to find in this league … still knows he’s a long way to go, but smart, accurate, makes good decisions. Good young player to work with.”
A cheer went up with 2:03 left in the first period when DeVito raced off the Giants bench in relief of an injured and ineffective Lock (hip).
The Return of Tommy Cutlets.
The People’s Choice.
“I appreciate all the fans for that love and support,” DeVito said and smiled.
Lock’s uninspiring night (4-for-10, 17 yards, one interception) had ended after not delivering twice to a wide-open Malik Nabers and an interception. Paging Daniel Jones, paging Daniel Jones. Lock rolled to his right on Nabers’ third and final series and threw the ball out of bounds. Not exactly how new play-caller Brian Daboll drew it up.
Daboll prefers his quarterbacks throwing fearlessly into tight windows rather than closing open windows.
DeVito (8-for-15, 92 yards) isn’t the one with the $5 million free agent contract; Lock is. DeVito is the 2023 undrafted free agent out of Syracuse and Illinois saving money eating his mother’s home-cooked meals.
But DeVito was the one who played with nerve and threw with authority and accuracy and touch.
Lock, in his first year in the offense, looked like a fish out of water.
DeVito, in command of the operation, looked more like a shark.
“Every day is a step in the right direction,” DeVito said.
He overthrew Allen Robinson on his first pass — what appeared to be a miscommunication — but then completed a pretty touch pass that led running back Eric Gray for 24 yards. Then he rifled one over the middle to TE Tyree Jackson for 16 more. Soon, he was congratulating Gray for his ankle-breaking 48-yard touchdown run against joint practice tormentor Morice Norris.
DeVito, now starting at the Detroit 37, tossed a 13-yard checkdown to Gray before hitting Jackson for 18 yards to the 1 to position Gray for his 1-yard touchdown run, and it was Giants 14, Lions 3.
He chided himself for sliding a yard short on third-and-1 and convinced Daboll to give him the rock on his one-yard gain on fourth-and-1. He later took a pair of deep shots but failed to connect.
Only nine months ago, Cutlets was the cult hero quarterback with the pinched fingers touchdown celebration who captivated the fan base and embraced the biggest and brightest stage on a Monday night when he marched the Giants to a dramatic third straight win at the end against the Packers.
He struck while the endorsement iron was hot before the clock struck 12 on the fairy tale, and he found himself backing up Tyrod Taylor when the season concluded.
His mission on this night against the Lions: remind the Giants, if not the entire NFL, that he could be a fearless leader of men, long on moxie and swag. He did just that.
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