EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – He might not play a down this season or even make the 53-man roster, but quarterback Tommy DeVito continues to receive favorable reviews from his performance in the Giants' preseason opener.
The rookie free agent quarterback from Don Bosco Prep and the University of Illinois played 51 of the team's 59 offensive snaps after relieving Tyrod Taylor on the third offensive series. Despite being confronted with pass rushers almost every time he dropped back -- he was sacked five times -- DeVito completed 15 of 24 passes for 155 yards, including a 14-yard pass to his high school teammate, tight end Tommy Sweeney.
"I thought he did a really nice job in there," offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said today. "Gutsy, played tough, I think he did all the things we asked him to do from an execution standpoint. He's growing each and every day."
"I thought he did well," said starting quarterback Daniel Jones, who did not play in the game. "I think anytime your first game out there in live action and operating, trying to get everyone on the same page and executing on offense can be tough, but I thought he did a really good job kind of handling it all. He was composed and made a lot of good decisions, a lot of good plays. He's been practicing well, playing really well in practice too. I thought it was impressive."
Kafka was asked if the Lions' persistent pass rush helped him evaluate DeVito's capabilities.
"I'd probably say we're looking to eliminate that pressure off the quarterback," Kafka said. "We certainly don't want the quarterback having to throw with guys in their face, so we've got to work to improve all those things. It's not just the O-line, it's an 11-man operation and every group has a piece of it. Quarterback, the O-line, the running backs in protection, the receivers with their routes. Everyone has a piece to it, it's not just always one group, although sometimes it may look like that."
Kafka has experience developing young quarterbacks. He was the Kansas City Chiefs' quarterbacks coach in 2018-19, Patrick Mahomes' first two seasons as the starter, and added passing game coordinator to his title in his final two seasons with the team (2020-21).
"I'd say in my experience with the quarterback room is those young guys, you're trying to put them in a position where they understand – like they're going through their checklist," Kafka said. "You're looking at the shot clock, you're looking at the guys in the huddle, you're looking at the personnel groupings that's in your own huddle, what's on the other side of the football, you're evaluating who's on what side of the ball. You're looking at corner, you're looking at linebacker, you're looking at matchups. Then all of a sudden you break the huddle and you've got a million things you've got to check out. Who the mike (linebacker) is, who the protection responsibilities are, making sure our guys are aligned in the right spot, then you're checking the clock again. There's a whole checklist and a thought process. That's really even before the snap, so all those things are happening.
"For a young player, you try to break it down for them so that they can do it simply, easy and allow them to play fast. For a guy like Tommy, he's going through that process, each and every day. It's not always perfect but you're seeing the growth and you're seeing the development and then you go see him execute in a game like that, do some nice things, throw a touchdown and have some success and that does nothing but just build his confidence."
Catch up on all the action from Tuesday's training camp practice at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.


















































*Jones reiterated what coach Brian Daboll said yesterday, that he will play at some point in the final two preseason games (Friday vs. Carolina and Aug. 26 against the Jets).
"I'm always preparing to play," Jones said. "That's obviously Dabs' call. I think we're all preparing to play, and he'll make a decision on that. He's told us we're going to play in the preseason, so to prepare and get ready to do that."
*Special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey began his news conference by saying, "let's just address the 700-pound gorilla in the room, right?"
The gorilla was Daboll's intense stare at McGaughey after Detroit's Maurice Alexander returned a punt 95 yards for a touchdown.
"We all know Dabs is intense and on gameday, that's just him," McGaughey said. "It's not a big deal, it's happened before. That's just part of the game. He's an intense guy, we have no issues. That's just part of football, it's an intense game."
Daboll called the incident a "non-issue" the day after the game.
What was an issue was the Giants having only 10 men on the field for the Alexander's long score.
"This is the process of the preseason, this happens in every game around the league," McGaughey said. "This is not new; this is something that just happens. When you have guys, say for example, a guy that was a starting running back in college. He's used to playing every down, he's running the football, he's catching, he's running the football and then on third down or fourth down, he comes off the field. He's not on the punt team. So, a lot of times when these kids, these young guys, when they get into these competitive environments, muscle memory kicks in. He's used to on third down, if they don't make the first down, what does he do? He's used to going to the bench. Well, it's not like that anymore. Okay, you are on the punt team now. Now you have to go out there and go cover a punt and protect it.
"That's just part of the maturation process of all these young guys, they have to understand that they are not in college anymore, they are not starters, a lot of them are not starters anymore so when there is a fourth-down play, you don't run off the field, you stay on the field and that's just the reality."
*Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale praised the play of inside linebacker Micah McFadden, who is competing with Darrian Beavers for the spot next to Bobby Okereke.
"I'll tell you, I thought Micah played really well in the game," Martindale said. "He did a lot of good things. I think that this is truly Beavers' rookie year because of the ACL (tear, which cost him the 2022 season), and he's missed so many practices that Micah's got a year under his belt. It's a good competition and Micah is definitely leading right now. So, we'll see where that goes and where that takes it."
*Former Giants quarterback Phil Simms and Pro Football Hall of Famer Bill Cowher, the former longtime coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, watched practice. Simms and Cowher are both longtime analysts on CBS' The NFL Today.
*Also in attendance was Anthony Blevins, a Giants assistant coach from 2018-22 who recently left the franchise to become the head coach of the Vegas Vipers of the XFL.
View photos from the Giants' preseason opener against the Lions in Detroit.


TE Tommy Sweeney (89)

ILB Micah McFadden (41), S Jason Pinnock (27), DT Brandin Bryant (69), OLB Oshane Ximines (53)

CB Deonte Banks (36)

S Jason Pinnock (27), ILB Micah McFadden (41)

RB James Robinson (24)

T Korey Cunningham (70), TE Tommy Sweeney (89), OL Joshua Ezeudu (75), C John Michael Schmitz Jr. (61)

WR Isaiah Hodgins (18)

CB Rodarius Williams (25)

WR Cole Beasley (9)

ILB Micah McFadden (41), S Dane Belton (24)

CB Deonte Banks (36)

P Jamie Gillan (6), K Graham Gano (9)

S Jason Pinnock (27)

S Jason Pinnock (27)

RB James Robinson (24)

P Jamie Gillan (6), K Graham Gano (9)

QB Tommy DeVito (5)

OLB Tomon Fox (49)

P Jamie Gillan (6), K Graham Gano (9)

LS Casey Kreiter (59), CB Cor'Dale Flott (28)

OLB Tashawn Bower (94)

CB Rodarius Williams (25), OLB Habakkuk Baldonado (45)

CB Rodarius Williams (25)

K Graham Gano (9)

OLB Tashawn Bower (94)

S Alex Cook (23)

OLB Tashawn Bower (94)

OLB Tashawn Bower (94)

P Jamie Gillan (6), K Graham Gano (9)

C John Michael Schmitz Jr. (61), QB Tyrod Taylor (2)

ILB Micah McFadden (41), S Jason Pinnock (27), DT Brandin Bryant (69), OLB Oshane Ximines (53)

WR Isaiah Hodgins (18)

K Graham Gano (9)

QB Tyrod Taylor (2)

WR Isaiah Hodgins (18)

WR Isaiah Hodgins (18)

K Graham Gano (9)

S Dane Belton (24)

CB Tre Hawkins III (37)

ILB Carter Coughlin (52)

CB Tre Hawkins III (37)

CB Darren Evans (35)

S Dane Belton (24)

CB Tre Hawkins III (37)

CB Deonte Banks (36)

ILB Cam Brown (47)

CB Deonte Banks (36)

CB Tre Hawkins III (37), S Dane Belton (24)

G Ben Bredeson (68), C John Michael Schmitz Jr. (61), OL Joshua Ezeudu (75)

RB Eric Gray (20)

CB Darnay Holmes (30)

G Ben Bredeson (68), C John Michael Schmitz Jr. (61), OL Joshua Ezeudu (75), QB Tommy DeVito (5)

T Korey Cunningham (70), G Ben Bredeson (68), C John Michael Schmitz Jr. (61), OL Joshua Ezeudu (75), QB Tommy DeVito (5),

T Korey Cunningham (70), G Ben Bredeson (68), C John Michael Schmitz Jr. (61), OL Joshua Ezeudu (75), QB Tommy DeVito (5),

WR Cole Beasley (9)

RB James Robinson (24)

G Ben Bredeson (68)

C John Michael Schmitz Jr. (61), OL Joshua Ezeudu (75)

S Bobby McCain (21)

ILB Dyontae Johnson (54)

QB Tommy DeVito (5)

C John Michael Schmitz Jr. (61)

CB Deonte Banks (36)

RB James Robinson (24), T Korey Cunningham (70)

S Bobby McCain (21)

OLB Oshane Ximines (53)

OLB Oshane Ximines (53), ILB Micah McFadden (41), TE OLB Tomon Fox (49)

CB Gemon Green (34), CB Zyon Gilbert (38)

CB Gemon Green (34), CB Zyon Gilbert (38)

ILB Micah McFadden (41)

OLB Oshane Ximines (53), ILB Micah McFadden (41)

WR Jamison Crowder (80)

T Korey Cunningham (70)

QB Tommy DeVito (5)

WR Jamison Crowder (80)

CB Rodarius Williams (25)

P Jamie Gillan (6)

WR Jamison Crowder (80)

CB Deonte Banks (36)

S Dane Belton (24), CB Deonte Banks (36), ILB Micah McFadden (41)

P Jamie Gillan (6)

P Jamie Gillan (6)

ILB Micah McFadden (41), S Dane Belton (24)

S Dane Belton (24)

S Dane Belton (24), CB Deonte Banks (36), ILB Micah McFadden (41)

T Korey Cunningham (70), RB Jashaun Corbin (25), TE Tommy Sweeney (89)

ILB Micah McFadden (41), S Dane Belton (24)

T Korey Cunningham (70), RB Jashaun Corbin (25), TE Tommy Sweeney (89)

S Dane Belton (24)

K Graham Gano (9)

CB Tre Hawkins III (37)

CB Tre Hawkins III (37)

K Graham Gano (9)

RB Eric Gray (20)

G Wyatt Davis (67), G Jack Anderson (77), QB Tommy DeVito (5), G Shane Lemieux (66)

CB Deonte Banks (36)

RB Eric Gray (20)

RB Eric Gray (20)

WR Kalil Pimpleton (81)

OLB Tashawn Bower (94)

P Jamie Gillan (6)

RB Eric Gray (20)

WR David Sills V (13)

ILB Dyontae Johnson (54)

WR David Sills V (13)

RB Eric Gray (20)

S Alex Cook (23)

DT Kobe Smith (72)

OLB Tashawn Bower (94), S Gervarrius Owens (31)

S Alex Cook (23)

ILB Troy Brown (46)

S Gervarrius Owens (31)

ILB Troy Brown (46), S Gervarrius Owens (31), DT Jordon Riley (95), DT Kobe Smith (72)

WR David Sills V (13)

DT Kobe Smith (72)

OLB Tashawn Bower (94), S Gervarrius Owens (31)

OLB Tomon Fox (49)

Sean Harlow (65), QB Tommy DeVito (5), G Shane Lemieux (66)

ILB Dyontae Johnson (54)

T Korey Cunningham (70)

WR Kalil Pimpleton (81)

WR Kalil Pimpleton (81)

S Alex Cook (23)

WR Kalil Pimpleton (81)

T Korey Cunningham (70)

S Gervarrius Owens (31)

OLB Tashawn Bower (94)

CB Zyon Gilbert (38), S Alex Cook (23)

CB Amani Oruwariye (20)

CB Zyon Gilbert (38)

CB Zyon Gilbert (38), S Alex Cook (23)

CB Zyon Gilbert (38)

CB Darren Evans (35)

CB Amani Oruwariye (20)

CB Zyon Gilbert (38)

G Jack Anderson (77)

WR David Sills V (13)

G Wyatt Davis (67)

WR David Sills V (13)

G Jack Anderson (77)

G Wyatt Davis (67)

TE Ryan Jones (49)

RB Eric Gray (20)

RB Eric Gray (20)

G Wyatt Davis (67), Sean Harlow

K Graham Gano (9)

K Graham Gano (9)

TE Ryan Jones (49)

CB Darren Evans (35)

TE Ryan Jones (49)

WR Kalil Pimpleton (81)

WR David Sills V (13)

S Alex Cook (23)

G Jack Anderson (77)

S Alex Cook (23)

OLB Tashawn Bower (94), OLB Habakkuk Baldonado (45)

New York Giants quarterback Tyrod Taylor throws during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Detroit Lions, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

New York Giants safety Jason Pinnock (27) tackles Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (26) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

New York Giants place-kicker Graham Gano (9) greets teammates after his field goal during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Detroit Lions, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll looks towards New York Giants wide receiver Cole Beasley during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Detroit Lions, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito scrambles during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Detroit Lions, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito scrambles during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Detroit Lions, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

New York Giants quarterback Tyrod Taylor scrambles during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Detroit Lions, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

New York Giants wide receiver Cole Beasley runs during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

New York Giants wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins (18) stiff arms Detroit Lions cornerback Will Harris during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs is tackled by the New York Giants defense during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

New York Giants wide receiver Cole Beasley (9) is tackled by Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

New York Giants quarterback Tyrod Taylor scrambles during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Detroit Lions, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

New York Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (84) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Detroit Lions, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito (5) looks to pass against the Detroit Lions during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Detroit Lions tight end Brock Wright (89) is tackled by New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks (36) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll watches from the sideline during the second half of an NFL preseason football game against the Detroit Lions, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Detroit Lions tight end Brock Wright (89) is tackled by New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks (36) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

New York Giants quarterback Tyrod Taylor (2) scrambles during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Detroit Lions, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

New York Giants place kicker Graham Gano (9) kicks off against the Detroit Lions during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

New York Giants running back Eric Gray (20) rushes during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Detroit Lions, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

New York Giants quarterback Tyrod Taylor scrambles during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Detroit Lions, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Detroit Lions cornerback Chase Lucas, top, and cornerback Saivion Smith take down New York Giants wide receiver Jamison Crowder (80) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito passes the ball during pregame of an NFL preseason football game against the Detroit Lions, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

New York Giants tight end Tommy Sweeney, defended by Detroit Lions linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin (42), catches a 14-yard pass for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito (5) passes during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Detroit Lions, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito (5) passes during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Detroit Lions, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch (32) defends as New York Giants wide receiver Cole Beasley waits on the throw during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

New York Giants cornerback Cor'Dale Flott (28) break up a pass intended for Detroit Lions wide receiver Dylan Drummond (83) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

New York Giants quarterback Tyrod Taylor scrambles during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Detroit Lions, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

New York Giants place kicker Graham Gano kicks a 48-yard field goal during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Detroit Lions, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)





















































































S Xavier McKinney, DL Dexter Lawrence, CB Adoree' Jackson

DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches

DB Nick McCloud

OT Evan Neal

DL Dexter Lawrence

OT Andrew Thomas

S Xavier Mckinney, DL Dexter Lawrence, CB Adoree Jackson

DB Alex Cook

DT Kobe Smith
