EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – If Brian Daboll knows who the Giants' starting quarterback will be when they next play two weeks from tonight, he's not ready to share his secret.
Daboll could well have a choice to make after the Giants' bye week, when they host the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football.
Rookie Tommy DeVito has led the Giants to consecutive victories, including a 10-7 triumph yesterday against the New England Patriots in MetLife Stadium. He has quickly become a favorite of Giants fans who savor his "local boy makes good" story.
But waiting in the wings – perhaps – is Tyrod Taylor, who injured his rib cage last month against the Jets and might be ready to practice when the Giants reconvene a week from today. Taylor is on injured reserve.
Daboll hinted he has many factors to consider and time to sort them out.
"We're just getting started here," Daboll said. "We're just finishing up, still got a little bit to go finishing up with the coaches on this game and work as a coaching staff and discuss a lot of things, look at a lot of things and try to fix some things. That'll be something we talk about as well."
Asked about the continuity of sticking with DeVito, who has played five NFL games with three starts, or switching back to the more experienced Taylor (88 games, 56 starts), Daboll said, "that's something we'll talk about. We'll talk about it all."
DeVito has not thrown an interception in his last 66 passes and has posted passer ratings of 137.7 and 103.9 in victories against the Washington Commanders and the Patriots.
He made his first home start yesterday.
"A lot of fun," DeVito said of the experience. "The last time I started here was in high school (at nearby Don Bosco Prep), my state championship, and I was like, 'Yep, played in the stadium before.' To be able to actually start and play the game from start to finish, it's a lot of fun."
DeVito's irresistible enthusiasm inspired not only his teammates, but the Giants faithful who sat in the rain.
"I try to bring that energy all the time," he said. "I respect this game so much, but at the same time it's a child's game in my eyes. So, I try to have fun with it like I was when I was kid, when I was five years old playing with my friends in the backyard and I try to just bring that throughout practice. It is a job, it is stressful. You are in all day meetings and workouts, so it's like when you're on the field, enjoy it and have fun with it. Bring your own kind of confidence and swagger. Kind of talk about that a lot, Kaf (offensive coordinator Mike Kafka) talks about that a lot in our offensive meetings. To let your personality show, and I just try to do that every play."
Another rookie, wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, caught five of DeVito's passes for 109 yards, the Giants' first 100-yard performance in more than a year. Three of those hookups gained 22, 29 and a game-long 41 yards, demonstrating not only Hyatt's ability to get open downfield, but DeVito's willingness to fire away.
"See it, let it go," Daboll said. "Trust your eyes. I'd say, be intelligently aggressive. I think he had a little fade adjust to go route and they were playing cover two to Hyatt on the left-hand side, high level throw. We were just talking about it upstairs. Exactly what he saw and why he went there. He's got good field vision. Usually when he comes off the sideline, he can articulate what he sees, which is not always the easiest thing, whether it's for a young quarterback, even older quarterbacks, but 'Hey, I put it here because I saw this guy move, the safety didn't open his shoulders, he stayed square, he was at 12 yards. I figured I had a chance to get it in there.'
"Most of the time, he sees it the way it is after you're watching on tape, which is always a hard thing to do or you can come off to the sideline and say, 'Hey, this is why I didn't do this' or 'man, I screwed this up. I should have let this one go or got it out a little quicker.' I think all the reps that he has had the last couple of weeks has helped him. We've just got to try to keep improving them."
The players are off this week for the bye, but DeVito, who conveniently lives 15 minutes from the Giants' headquarters, will be working.
"He'll have his weekend off and stuff like that but I'm sure he'll be – I know he'll be doing stuff, we just talked about it," Daboll said. "Again, young player, lot to develop in terms of that position, which is important, and I know he'll work at it.
"(He will) watch tape, get ahead on Green Bay, look at his past two games, talk about plays that he really likes, maybe plays he didn't like during a game, those are some of the main things."
*Taylor and tight end Darren Waller (hamstring) were both placed on injured reserve Nov. 4. Daboll was first asked if he expects them to play again this season.
"I'd say they're getting better," Daboll said. "We'll see where they're at. I haven't talked to the medical guys yet, but they've been getting better."
Might they return after the bye week?
"We'll see," Daboll said.
*Right tackle Evan Neal has missed the last three and five of the last six games with an ankle injury. Daboll was asked if he knows whether Neal will return to the field this year.
"Do I know?' Daboll said. "Not for certain, but I think he's getting better so I'm hopeful. … I don't think he's ready to play quite yet but he's getting there."
*The Week 13 bye is the Giants' latest since 2001, when they were also off the first weekend in December. They have five regular season games remaining.
As always, coaches will spend much of the week self-scouting.
"You have more to look at (with the late bye), but you still look at some of the things that you know you want to place an emphasis on improving," Daboll said. "So, it'll probably be about 10-12 tapes that I've set up for the defense and offense to watch and four or five for the special teams that those guys will get started on here shortly. We'll have a normal Monday, we'll work pretty late tonight, same thing tomorrow. We'll see what we can get done and get on to Green Bay."
