Tommy DeVito’s time in the spotlight came to an end on Monday, all in a New York second.
The Giants took their longtime starter out after a subpar first half against the Eagles, with coach Brian Daboll relieving him of his duties in favor of backup Tyrod Taylor in what became a 33-25 defeat.
It spelled an end a five-game run in which the DeVito rose to the status of cult hero, racking up eight touchdowns to just three interceptions while leading Big Blue to three wins.
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Here’s what you need to know about DeVito getting parked on Christmas Day.
Why was Tommy DeVito benched?
The Eagles treated Tommy Cutlets like chopped liver in the first half. Although he didn’t spend much time on his backside, New York struggled to move the ball under DeVito’s helm. The Giants starter completed 9 of 16 passes for 55 yards on Monday. New York as a whole was slow, racking up just 100 yards in the first half while netting three points against Philadelphia’s vaunted defensive unit.
It was the second straight game where Daboll’s offense toiled with DeVito in charge. They looked fairly sluggish in their last game as well, a 24-6 loss in which DeVito accounted for just 177 yards.
Fox’s broadcast cited the move to replace DeVito with Taylor as a coach’s decision. It seemed to pay dividends quite quickly, although it’s hard to say Taylor was to credit for it. The Giants found the end zone for the first time with Taylor under center. But there were some extenuating circumstances; namely, New York was gifted the ball on Philadelphia’s 14-yard line after the Eagles fumbled the ball on the opening kickoff.
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Taylor finished the game with a marginally better showing, completing 7 of 16 passes for 133 yards with a touchdown and an interception, giving him a passer rating of 68 compared to DeVito’s 63.3.
DeVito getting the hook Monday naturally prompted questions about who will start for the Giants moving forward, but Daboll wasn’t ready to answer them Tuesday morning. He told reporters he had no updates about who would start in Week 17 against the Rams, saying the coaching staff would discuss it later in the day.
