The Elephant in the Room- What to do if TommyD runs the Table- (guests can vote)

[Ed Vette]

And 70 rushing yards

The game wasn't elite or great ... but he had a good game

A good 5th start. Let's wrap our heads around that. We don't know how high his ceiling is but all the BS claims that he's not good and has a noodle arm shouldn't be so quick to judge. He's improved every game. He leads the team to a game winning drive and he didn't flinch or break a sweat. Three wins in a row.

[kingm56]

Serious question.  Putting Devito aside for a second, does anyone want DJ to return as our starting QB?

[Philosophers]

Serious question.  Putting Devito aside for a second, does anyone want DJ to return as our starting QB?

How can you put DeVito aside?  Because he is here and is playing at least as well if not better than DJ with much more room to grow, no I dont want DJ as starter.  This kid has guts and has been smart with the football.

[kingm56]

How can you put DeVito aside?  Because he is here and is playing at least as well if not better than DJ with much more room to grow, no I dont want DJ as starter.  This kid has guts and has been smart with the football.

I'm trying to decipher if this thread is more about DJ than Devito.  To be clear, you would start the latter over the former?

[Gmo11]

I'm trying to decipher if this thread is more about DJ than Devito.  To be clear, you would start the latter over the former?

With each win it becomes more and more likely that next year that will be the choices: Jones or Devito. And if those are the only two options available to me I'm picking Devito.

[killarich]

A good 5th start. Let's wrap our heads around that. We don't know how high his ceiling is but all the BS claims that he's not good and has a noodle arm shouldn't be so quick to judge. He's improved every game. He leads the team to a game winning drive and he didn't flinch or break a sweat. Three wins in a row.

I agree 100% ... the kid was in his parents house playing call of duty and being called down to dinner when the cutlets were finished not too long ago

The kid is winning and flinging it down the field ...... idk how any of us can say if he's good or bad just yet

But one thing we do know is we are on a 3 game win streak with him at qb

[EDjohnst1981]

~160 yards passing is "everything expected for him."?  I mean, I know the standard around here has dropped, but let's be serious.

Yes, they have.

It's also a figure Jones eclipsed only twice this year.

[katkavage]

There is no way Schoen can avoid a QB controversy unless Jones takes a very long time to recover. He and whoever sanctioned the money for Jones put themselves in this spot.

[spiderblue43]

There is no way Schoen can avoid a QB controversy unless Jones takes a very long time to recover. He and whoever sanctioned the money for Jones put themselves in this spot.

Sanctioned by Mara..Schoen didn't have another avenue to pursue.

[DaveBrown74]

~160 yards passing is "everything expected for him."?  I mean, I know the standard around here has dropped, but let's be serious.

I agree it's a low standard and we shouldn't get too over our skis about a solid but not great performance. I have seen too many times where people have done this with an ok but far from great game with Jones, so I'm not going to start doing it now. As a fanbase we do have a tendency to get emotional and overrate our own players, and I think we need to keep that in perspective.

Still, there were some things to like about last night specifically, apart from the obvious mere fact that they won as a 6.5 point underdog against a red hot team that many saw as a surging, dangerous dark horse in the NFC.

What I liked about DeVito's performance last night though were two things:

(1) No mistakes. 17 for 21, no turnovers. He also showed very good rush awareness and escapability (zero sacks).

(2) He dialed it up late in the game when he was needed the most. The TD passing play to Hodgins was electric. The two separate throws to Wan'Dale (the flea flicker and then the late sideline throw) were good too. I thought we saw the best of him late in the game when everything was on the line.


The bottom line is DeVito is bringing bona fide fun and a little bit of magic to an otherwise dark, dismal season. We have had infighting with coaches, players not getting along, fan outrage, tons of injuries, blowout losses, you name it. It's been brutal. I don't think we're looking at the next great QB or anything, but fans are having a good time with it, and the team has won three in row. That's all I know.

It's also the holiday season. I'm not going to snarl and repeatedly scream "Bah Humbug!" like Ebenezer Scrooge when everyone else is having a great time with this. I'm going to enjoy it myself too for as long as it lasts.

[DaveBrown74]

Sanctioned by Mara..Schoen didn't have another avenue to pursue.

I think they'll deliberately slow-play it with Jones. Even if he is healthy enough to go in week one, they'll claim they don't want to risk re-injury and want to ease him back, etc. I think DeVito will start week one. Even if he doesn't play great the final three games of 2023, I have a feeling that's set in stone now. And that will apply too if they draft a QB (which now that they're barely top 10 is starting to feel less likely).

Mara may have a man-crush on Jones, but he is also influenced by overwhelming fan majority opinions. He had a man-crush on Jason Garrett too, and he still allowed Judge to fire Garrett in-season because the cacophony of fan outrage and media people calling for his head became too much for him to endure. He also panicked when the fans got upset about the Eli benching (even though he clearly approved it) and in-season fired his coach and GM.

At this point, let's be honest: pretty much no fan (other than now infinitesimal group of unflappable Jones apologists) wants Jones to start next year over this guy. Or anyone for that matter. Jones is associated with pain and losing - this guy is associated with fun and, for the moment at least, winning. They'll start him until such a time that he starts playing poorly AND the team is losing. I think he has a lock on at least the first three weeks of next season, no matter what else is going on at the QB position on the team.

[uconnjack8]

Devito made some really nice throws when he had to (the TD pass to Hodgins for example).  158 yards passing certainly isn't anything special.  A 81.7 QBR is a solid number though.

Stats or not, it's a fun run and more than I was expecting.  Things usually get more difficult as teams get more tape on a QB, so we'll see how it goes for the last 4 games. 

When you rush for 200+ yards and get 3 takeaways, you don't need gaudy passing stats to win.  They aren't going to do that every week, but even in a passing league, it's a winning formula.

[katkavage]

Yes, Tommy's sample size is small. And truthfully, much too small to seriously evaluate him as a future starting QB in the NFL. But what we can do is compare the sample to what we've seen in five plus years with Jones. And the comparison is not good for Jones. If DeVito falls on his face the next five games will he be given the excuses of "bad offensive line, mediocre receivers, terrible play calling and coaching," that Jones has had throughout his career? Even in the very small sample of Tyrod Taylor, you saw the team react and play better with him at QB. QB play elevates or sinks a football team. Jones play has never elevated the team. Last year he was efficient and mostly mistake free combined with a strong running game. That combined with a strong defense was enough to win many close games and get them the record they had. I give Jones credit for playing well within a system but nothing more. So the Giants are hobbled now with decisions because of a bad contract. They went the safe route in the off season and now they have to deal with that.
 

[DaveBrown74]

Yes, Tommy's sample size is small. And truthfully, much too small to seriously evaluate him as a future starting QB in the NFL. But what we can do is compare the sample to what we've seen in five plus years with Jones. And the comparison is not good for Jones. If DeVito falls on his face the next five games will he be given the excuses of "bad offensive line, mediocre receivers, terrible play calling and coaching," that Jones has had throughout his career? Even in the very small sample of Tyrod Taylor, you saw the team react and play better with him at QB. QB play elevates or sinks a football team. Jones play has never elevated the team. Last year he was efficient and mostly mistake free combined with a strong running game. That combined with a strong defense was enough to win many close games and get them the record they had. I give Jones credit for playing well within a system but nothing more. So the Giants are hobbled now with decisions because of a bad contract. They went the safe route in the off season and now they have to deal with that.
 

I think the damage is already done for Jones, myself. First off he has proven beyond any doubt that he can't physically handle the rigors of NFL play. He has had numerous injuries, missing multiple games in all five of his seasons except one, and his injuries have been pretty serious. Two neck injuries and an ACL already, plus multiple others? Even if you're in the camp that he's this really good QB that has been held back by the play of everyone else besides him, you can't spin your way out of the reality that the guy simply can't be counted on to stay reasonably healthy.

Secondly, Jones was brutal this year on the field when he did play. Simply brutal. With the exception of two quarters against an awful Arizona team playing without Buddha Baker, he was downright dreadful. People who are believers in him blamed everyone from the line, Kafka, receivers, Daboll, the defense, whatever they could. All of that kind of fell on its face when he got outperformed by both Tyrod Taylor and now an undrafted walk-on rookie, playing with the same conditions (worse if you consider the loss of Waller).

No matter what, even if DeVito falters in the last four games, I think the damage is done on Jones for all of the above reasons. His days as a Giant are numbered unless he suddenly plays out of his mind next season. And, as stated in another thread, I have a really hard time seeing him start the season, even if he is healthy.

[kartanoman]

I agree it's a low standard and we shouldn't get too over our skis about a solid but not great performance. I have seen too many times where people have done this with an ok but far from great game with Jones, so I'm not going to start doing it now. As a fanbase we do have a tendency to get emotional and overrate our own players, and I think we need to keep that in perspective.

Still, there were some things to like about last night specifically, apart from the obvious mere fact that they won as a 6.5 point underdog against a red hot team that many saw as a surging, dangerous dark horse in the NFC.

What I liked about DeVito's performance last night though were two things:

(1) No mistakes. 17 for 21, no turnovers. He also showed very good rush awareness and escapability (zero sacks).

(2) He dialed it up late in the game when he was needed the most. The TD passing play to Hodgins was electric. The two separate throws to Wan'Dale (the flea flicker and then the late sideline throw) were good too. I thought we saw the best of him late in the game when everything was on the line.


The bottom line is DeVito is bringing bona fide fun and a little bit of magic to an otherwise dark, dismal season. We have had infighting with coaches, players not getting along, fan outrage, tons of injuries, blowout losses, you name it. It's been brutal. I don't think we're looking at the next great QB or anything, but fans are having a good time with it, and the team has won three in row. That's all I know.

It's also the holiday season. I'm not going to snarl and repeatedly scream "Bah Humbug!" like Ebenezer Scrooge when everyone else is having a great time with this. I'm going to enjoy it myself too for as long as it lasts.

You win the post of the day, and your subsequent contributions aren't far off.

Save some for the Rangers tonight, OK?

I enjoy reading your contributions, very much. Keep up the fantastic work.

Peace!