The 2023 season has been good for Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito. He led the Giants to three straight wins, including a performance against the Packers that earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. But after the Week 15 loss to the Saints, could Monday’s tilt with the Eagles be it for “Tommy Cutlets?”
Tommy Cutlets isn’t a slur; it’s DeVito’s legal trademark. So is “The Passing Paisano.” Tommy DeVito is a star, doing photo-ops with fans and endorsing a sauce mixture that’s the go-to ingredient in his family’s cutlets recipe.
While there’s no doubt DeVito will remember 2023 for the rest of his life, the big question is: Will it last?
On Christmas Day (Monday) at Lincoln Financial Field, DeVito makes his sixth straight start against the reeling Philadelphia Eagles, losers of three in a row. All eyes will be on him to see how he responds after a come-back-to-earth performance last week, getting sacked seven times and without tossing a TD.
It’s no secret Giants head coach Brian Daboll doesn’t think much of this folk hero’s ability to be a starting NFL QB. He hasn’t endorsed or even praised him, and it’s fair to say that Dabol is not alone when it comes to what NYG’s front office is saying. There’s support for Tyrod Taylor to start. Why? It’s mainly because the team’s brain trust doesn’t want to start training camp with a quarterback controversy between DeVito and Daniel Jones. That means a bad performance on Monday could mean pulling the plug on DeVito’s time under center, which some see as”a novelty act.”
The situation makes for an exciting game with broad implications–beyond whether Philly can right the ship for a presumed run deep into the playoffs.
And, of course, don’t expect Eagles fans to be in any holiday mood (they never are), especially with the hated Giants in town. The Eagles have no love lost for the Giants. They always seem to play their best game against them, having won 16 of the last 19 games (80%+), including a 38-7 win over the Giants in last season’s NFC divisional playoff round.
So, there’s no doubt that DeVito will be wearing a target on his back from the first to the last snap. Expect the crowd to be fired up, especially when the Eagles do what the Saints did last week … blitz.
I don’t know if DeVito will be great in the late afternoon contest, but I don’t think he’ll be intimidated by the Eagles or their crowd. After all, he’s an East Coast/Jersey guy who was tested starting in high school when he played for Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, NJ.
No matter what happens on Monday, it has been a great ride, hasn’t it? So, here’s hoping Tommy DeVito puts on a good show in what has been an otherwise miserable season for Giants fans. Heck, it sure beats watching Taylor play.
