Tommy DeVito's sequel didn't start out as well as “The Godfather Part II.”
DeVito, who was put in a difficult position with unrealistic expectations after the Giants benched him and then cut starting quarterback Daniel Jones, lost to the Buccaneers 30-7 on Sunday and was forced to leave head coach Brian. Daboll was unable to recapture the magic of last season that he was looking for.
“I always want to be that spark,” DeVito said after throwing for 189 yards and four sacks. “I take it seriously— [not] We were able to score more points and keep things going in the first half. ”
Daboll made the strange decision to bypass Jones' backup, Drew Lock, in favor of third-stringer DeVito.
After filling in for an injured Jones as an undrafted rookie last season and going 3-3 in six starts, Daboll trusted DeVito to control games and pitch with guts. It was thought that there may be
But last season's big plays were absent, and the big hits remained as compensation for DeVito holding the ball in the pocket too long. DeVito had to miss the snap in the fourth quarter after one shot went off the wind.
“Nobody did a good enough job,” Daboll said. “Start with yourself.”
Giants fans welcomed the North Jersey native to DeVito, whose finger-pinching touchdown celebration that paid homage to Italy made headlines last season. DeVito's first possession brought him onto the field to thunderous applause.
Several DeVito jerseys were scattered throughout the MetLife Stadium crowd, and Jones was booed during the first five home games of the season.
However, the Giants successfully punted on three of their four first-half possessions and turned the ball over on downs on the other. DeVito led two long drives in the second half, one of which ended with a fumble by Tyrone Tracy Jr. at the 5-yard line.
“They put a lot of pressure on us early on,” DeVito said. “I was just starting to figure it out, so I just let the guys play. We started moving, but it was too late.”
The Giants weren't surprised when the Buccaneers' defensive-minded head coach, Todd Bowles, took a shot at DeVito.
“We have a new quarterback,” defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence said. “So they were going to do whatever they had to do — blitz him on every play.”
Daboll confirmed that DeVito will continue to start against the Cowboys on Thursday. The Giants have the lowest scoring offense in the NFL (14.8 points per game).
“The little things that bite you and kill your drive and don’t allow you to put points on the board, you just need to nip it in the bud. And it will be,” DeVito said. “I know it's been a while, but it's bound to happen.”
The Giants balked at suggestions that sentiment related to the team making a business decision on the popular Jones had any impact on the flat performance.
“I think the energy level was up until the bad plays started and we lost,” receiver Darius Slayton said. “It just builds at that point.”
