Giants starting Tyrod Taylor vs. Rams means goal is still to win despite elimination
The Giants are still trying to win despite being eliminated from the playoffs.
That’s what Brian Daboll really announced on Wednesday when he named Tyrod Taylor the Giants’ starting quarterback for Sunday’s game against the L.A. Rams.
Tommy DeVito’s feel-good story and three-game winning streak, propped up by Wink Martindale’s turnover-happy defense, never changed the fact that Taylor was the clearly superior quarterback.
DeVito had a nice final drive to beat the Green Bay Packers on Dec. 11, in the first game that GM Joe Schoen and Daboll benched a healthy Taylor to keep DeVito’s run alive.
But the entire team and staff knows Taylor is the better quarterback. And the entire country was reminded of it the last two weeks, as well.
The Giants lost, 24-6, to the Saints in New Orleans, gaining 132 yards of offense with DeVito before a meaningless final drive. Then they fell behind 20-3 to the Eagles on national TV on Christmas Day before Taylor entered at halftime.
Daboll said after the loss in New Orleans that “I’m not gonna make a week-to-week change” but then made the change eight days later.
He explained his flip-flop by saying succinctly: “Yeah, Tyrod did some good stuff in the second half, so [he] earned the right to play.”
What Daboll didn’t say is that he probably could use another win or two down the stretch of this disastrous 5-10 season, too. His coaching staff is on the verge of turning over at an astounding rate this offseason.
Daboll has a 14-17-1 record in two seasons as Giants head coach, and a 1-1 mark in the playoffs, with two games to play against the Rams (8-7) and Eagles (11-4).
The Giants are 8-16-1 in their last 25 regular season games since their 6-1 start in 2022, and there has been tension throughout this season that spilled over into the locker room and onto the sidelines in particular during losses at Las Vegas and Dallas.
Desperate fans are salivating over a high draft pick and a possible new quarterback in 2024. The Giants hold the No. 5 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft for now.
But they still have two games remaining. And there was no fooling the team about which quarterback gives them the best chance to compete and win — although Taylor said he never dwelled on whether he’d get the chance to start again.
“I never had my focus there,” Taylor said. “My focus day in and day out was to prepare and stay ready for if my number was called to be out there, to be able to go out and execute at a high level.”
THE INJURY REPORT
The Giants did not practice. Wednesday’s injury report was a projection based on their walkthrough in preparation for the Rams. Did not participate: CB Deonte Banks (shoulder), TE Lawrence Cager (groin), DL Dexter Lawrence (hamstring), DL A’Shawn Robinson (back), DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches (knee). Limited: RB Saquon Barkley (elbow), OL Ben Bredeson (quad), P Jamie Gillan (left groin/left knee), CB Adoree’ Jackson (ankle), OL Justin Pugh (elbow), WR Wan’Dale Robinson (quad), C John Michael Schmitz (shoulder), TE Darren Waller (knee).
