Giants show more fire in the dressing room than in another humiliating loss: ‘We played softly’
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – New York Giants coach Brian Daboll turned to third-string quarterback Tommy DeVito to provide a “spark.” Instead, Daboll faced a five-alarm fire that will be difficult to extinguish.
The Giants were destroyed 30-7 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first game on Sunday after the benching of quarterback Daniel Jones. That decision Monday led to an extended week of drama, with Jones demoted to fourth-string quarterback in practice on Wednesday and giving a farewell press conference on Thursday before being released by co-owner John Mara on Friday.
The decision to bench Jones was justified based on his performance and the $23 million guarantee in his contract. But it was Daboll’s job to get his players to participate in the decision.
There were undercurrents all week that players weren’t fully on board. Star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, who has become the face of the team, said he was confused by Jones’ benching and didn’t like it because “to me (he) is the best quarterback on the team.”
Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen made more waves by jumping veteran backup Drew Lock, who had been the No. 2 quarterback all season, for DeVito, who briefly provided a nice distraction as a local hero last year.
With all that as a backdrop, Daboll needed his players to rally around him. He needed them to show they believed in him and that they would raise their level of play to support him as his seat heats up in his third season.
Instead, Daboll got a fumble that outside linebacker Brian Burns described as “ass.”
The Giants showed more fire in the locker room after the game than in the 60 minutes they were dominated on the field by the Buccaneers.
“We played soft,” Lawrence said. “And they beat us today.”
Unrest was widespread after the Giants’ sixth straight loss, falling to 2-9.
Rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers finished with six catches for 64 yards but was without a target in the first half as the Giants fell into a 23-0 hole. Nabers echoed Lawrence’s “soft” criticism as he railed about his lack of involvement early in the game.
“Go out there, first, second quarter, I can’t get the ball,” Nabers said. ‘At the end, start setting goals. I mean, I can’t do anything. Start grabbing the ball when it’s 30-0. What can you do?”
Malik Nabers: “I know I’m tired of losing”
He says it’s not the quarterback pic.twitter.com/CA6tH0r87x
— Charlotte Carroll (@charlottecrrll) November 24, 2024
Left tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, who left in the first quarter with a quad injury, contradicted Daboll’s assertion that the team’s effort level is satisfactory.
“Personally, I don’t think everyone is giving 100 percent effort,” says Eluemunor. “I mean, you’re 2-9. You have to be real with everyone. I am 29 years old. I’m a vet in this league, and if anyone has a problem with me saying that, they can come to me.
The continued loss is taking a toll on sixth-year wide receiver Darius Slayton, who was without a catch on two targets.
“We have capable players who are not playing like they are capable, period,” Slayton said. “That’s why we lose. That’s why we go out there and get beat.”
No player directly called the coaching staff. But their support was hardly convincing.
“I’d like to think so,” Burns said when asked if the coaches’ message is getting through to the players. “The reason I say I’d like to think that is because everyone has the right answers, but it’s not showing up where it needs to show up.”
Mara, who gave Schoen and Daboll a public vote of confidence four weeks ago, declined to comment when approached by reporters outside the locker room late in the match. The play on the field spoke volumes. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find reasons for Mara’s support as the losses continue to pile up.
Less than two weeks ago, Schoen made the stunning claim that the Giants aren’t “far away” as they regress dramatically in his third season.
The Giants have the worst offense in the league, averaging 14.8 points per game, after Daboll took over as play caller this season. They racked up a pathetic 45 yards total offense in the first half of Sunday.
Daboll called timeouts on the final drive while trailing 30-7, only for DeVito to keep checking the ball. The Giants reached the Tampa 14-yard line, but weren’t even able to score a touchdown in garbage time.
The Giants are 0-6 at home, where they average 10 points per game. Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield taunted the hearty souls attending Sunday’s game by mocking DeVito’s touchdown celebration after he scrambled for a score to give Tampa a 23-0 lead in the second quarter.
Baker celebrated the Tommy DeVito party 🤌
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/MNNeSlFN3t
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 24, 2024
The Giants’ point differential stands at negative 112 points, which is the second-worst in the league. It seems impossible, but the Giants haven’t led in any game since their Week 5 win over the Seattle Seahawks. Still, Schoen tried to point to small losses during his latest press conference as a sign that the program is moving in the right direction.
The rookie class has been heralded as a major triumph for Schoen, and it has proven to be promising. But warts appear more as the season progresses. Nabers has yet to reach 71 yards in five games since returning from a two-week absence due to a concussion. The first-round pick surpassed that mark three times in the first four games of the season.
Fifth-round pick Tyrone Tracy was a revelation and he was productive again Sunday with 42 yards on nine carries and four catches for 28 yards. But he also fumbled a first-and-goal from Tampa’s 5-yard line on the first possession of the second half. It was the third fumble in two games for Tracy, including the one that led to an overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 10.
LAVONTE DAVID WITH THE PEANUT PUNCH🥊
📺: #TBvsNYG on CBS pic.twitter.com/V9XEQmZOij
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) November 24, 2024
The rookie’s issues could be described as growing pains, with Burns saying, “They’re going to be important players for us next year.” However, it was a bit alarming that Burns was talking about next year, with six games left in the season. But that’s where things stand for the Giants.
GO DEEPER
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The pass rush had been the team’s strength, but the Giants didn’t sack Mayfield once, despite Tampa’s All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs missing the game with a knee injury and outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux returning from a broken wrist that sidelined him for an extended period of time . five games. The Giants have lost one sack in the last three games.
Stopping the run was a top priority for Schoen and Daboll after Wink Martindale’s messy departure as defensive coordinator. Shane Bowen was hired, with his defenses’ track record in Tennessee touted by Daboll. The Giants are allowing a league-high 5.3 yards per carry. The Bucs gained 156 yards on 32 carries, with the Giants’ pathetic tackling paving the way for most of those yards.
It’s not like Sunday’s result came against a juggernaut. The Bucs entered with a 4-6 record and a four-game losing streak.
Sunday’s performance will lend credence to the theory that turning to DeVito was a move designed to tank to improve the team’s depth. The sad thing is that’s not the case. Mara has made it abundantly clear that he will never condone tanking and there isn’t even a clear No. 1 quarterback in next year’s draft to tank for. The Giants have the No. 2 pick.
Daboll said the team “had a good week of practice,” which raises the question of what Sunday’s performance would have looked like after a bad week of practice.
It doesn’t matter how much national outlets are pushing the story that this regime gets a fourth season, Daboll will not survive if he loses the locker room. Major cracks in Daboll’s grip on his players began to become visible for the first time on Sunday. That was inevitable, and it will probably only get worse with six games to go in a season that has become utterly hopeless.
(Photo by Brian Daboll: Elsa/Getty Images)
