PHILADELPHIA — They serve cheesesteak here in Philadelphia, not chicken cutlets.
Tommy DeVito’s Rao’s sauce might now have to lower its price.
The Giants benched DeVito to start the second half during the team’s 33-25 Christmas Day loss to the Eagles, inserting Tyrod Taylor at quarterback.
“I made a change to try to make a spark,” said head coach Brian Daboll, who would not reveal whether DeVito or Taylor would start Sunday against the Rams.
The Giants were trailing 20-3 and had just gotten the ball at the Eagles’ 14-yard-line after Boston Scott fumbled the kickoff to start the third quarter when Taylor entered the game.
Saquon Barkley subsequently rushed three times and scored to cut the Giants’ deficit to 20-10.
DeVito struggled mightily before his benching, completing just 9 of 16 passes for 55 yards as the Giants’ offense hardly moved the ball in the first half.
DeVito had one rush for 5 yards as well.
The undrafted, third-stringer-turned-starting-quarterback had said this past week he was looking forward to the famously unruly crowd at Lincoln Financial Field.
He quickly got a rude awakening.
“It’s just a constant reminder that it’s a business,” DeVito said. “They’re always gonna try to find someone to replace you, whatever it is. But at the end of the day, it is a business, it’s your job, I respect it. There’s no feelings one way or the other. I was hoping [Taylor] would go out there and ball.”
Taylor completed a 69-yard bomb to Darius Slayton for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, which cut the Giants’ deficit to 30-25.
But he did little else, and finished with 133 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception.
Including Monday’s game, DeVito has started the last six contests after replacing the injured Daniel Jones and Taylor, and notably kept his starting job after Taylor returned to health.
DeVito’s unlikely rise hit a crescendo in the Giants’ 24-22 “Monday Night Football” win over the Packers in Week 14, which extended their win streak to three.
But it appears DeVito-sanity has come crashing back to reality.
He was beaten up and similarly struggled during the Giants’ 24-6 loss to the Saints last week, which snapped their win streak and all but ended any faint playoff hopes.
And after another rough half in Philadelphia, DeVito’s Christmas present was a spot on the bench. Perhaps Taylor’s gift is a return to starting duties.
“It’s not my decision,” Taylor said. “My decision is to be ready when my number is called, and I think that I proved that tonight.And I continue to keep preparing. My mood or my attitude doesn’t change based on circumstances. I’m the same person, same leader each and every day.”
