So is it worth it, New York Giants fans? “Devito mania” added some much-needed entertainment to a disastrous 2023 season, but in retrospect, it’s easy to see that the consequences of this fun were also disastrous. No way: Tommy DeVito’s three-game winning streak last year gave the team a chance to add top three picks and one of the top three quarterbacks selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Instead, the Giants had to settle for the sixth pick, after failing to trade Drake May, and passed up the opportunity to select Michael Penix Jr., JJ McCarthy and Bo Nix. Relitigating that decision is a story for another time, but as DeVito prepares to take the reins of the Giants again, it’s worth remembering what happened last year when the QB led the Giants to some valuable wins.
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Will you do it again this year? We’ll find out soon, but if so, it could be even more expensive. The crop of 2025 draft-eligible quarterbacks may not be as strong as last year’s, and only one or two may end up as first-round picks.
For the Giants desperate for a QB, this draft means positioning issues.
There’s some good news on that front: You won’t be greeted with impending calm. Of the remaining seven games, our NFL projection model favored them in only one (against Dallas on Thanksgiving Day).
The 2024 Giants calendar is maintained
| Week | the date | they oppose | Probability of winning |
|---|---|---|---|
Needless to say, no one expects the Giants to lose on purpose. They don’t go to the tank.
“I think we all have to do everything we can to finish the season well,” Giants coach Brian Daboll said.
Obviously, winning games is what Daboll needs to do. This is probably best for him in terms of job security. But the reality is that losing the first pick and getting it is the best outcome for the future of the franchise.
From that perspective, the next three games are the most important for the Giants. As you can see from the chart above, they look like the most winnable matchups on paper for New York, but Week 17 against the Colts is also close to even odds.
First up are the Buccaneers (4-6), who are coming off a four-game losing streak but are bouncing back after the bye week. Still, it’s a good week for DeVito to have posted terrible stats over the past four weeks with Tampa Bay’s defense: EPA/play (-0.20), according to TruMedia, is last in the league. But while DeVito appears to have some success, so could Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield. The Giants defense ranks 31st against opponents at 104.7.
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After the Bucs game, the Giants have a short break and then fly to Dallas to split Thanksgiving with the Cowboys (3-7). These two teams have played before, although that Week 4 game (a 20-15 Cowboys win at MetLife Stadium) seems like a long time ago. No team looks like it did in September. In fact, no team starts the same quarterback. It will be DeVito and Cooper Rush against Daniel Jones and Dak Prescott.
The Cowboys’ season was derailed two weeks after the win over the Giants. They were defeated by the Detroit Lions 47–9 in Week 6, starting a five-game losing streak. During that stretch, they also lost Prescott to a season-ending injury and were a disaster. Suffice to say, this game can get ugly quickly.
The Saints (4-7) are last in this crucial three-game stretch, riding a two-game winning streak since firing coach Dennis Allen and promoting Darren Rizzi. New Orleans appears rejuvenated under its interim head coach, but who knows how long that will last?
Listen…it’s a tough year as an NFL fan when your team sucks. There is no way around it. @ConorOrr and I’ve tried to find a silver lining for every team that struggles through a losing season.
Including the New York Giants.
Full show: pic.twitter.com/u2uU6kEUyj
—Robert Mays (@robertmays) November 20, 2024
Current eraser location
Heading into Week 12, the Giants are currently projected in third place behind the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-9) and Tennessee Titans (2-8). According to Tankathon. Although the Giants and Titans have the same record, the Titans receive a better draft pick due to their lower schedule.
This will be a key number to watch as the season comes to a close. Strength of schedule is the first tiebreaker the league uses to determine draft position between teams with the same record. The team with the lowest schedule, i.e. the overall winning percentage of the team’s opponents, gets the best pick. Right now, that’s bad news for the Giants. Their record (.520) is one of the highest among teams vying for the number one spot.
However, here’s what it means to Giants fans in terms of interest: rooting for everyone the Giants have played or will play for the rest of the year. The more losses these teams have, the lower the Giants’ ranking will be.
As for which teams Giants fans root for, it’s any team with four wins or less. There are currently many of them, 14 to be exact. However, the good news for Giants fans hoping to land the No. 1 pick is that the team has a decent chance.
Right now, according to our projection model, the Giants have a 12% chance of landing the first pick. That’s right behind the QB-needy Raiders (35%) and ahead of the Browns (11%), who beat them Thursday night and gave the Giants a big lead. They entered Thursday with a 28% chance of landing the top pick.
Odds for the remaining two and three teams:
• Titans (10%)
• Jaguars (10%)
• Patriots (8%)
• Panthers (7%)
• Jeans (4%)
• Planes (3%)
As the Giants enter the home stretch of their season, there is no doubt that it is in their best interest to lose most, if not all, of their remaining games. It’s not always easy to understand as a fan, but for those who need motivation, just look at last season to see how much “Devito mania” cost the Giants.
Given the Giants’ current circumstances and the potential long-term benefits of a high draft pick, should fans prioritize short-term wins or embrace a strategic rebuild, even if it means enduring a losing season?
## Open-Ended Questions for a Discussion about the Giants’ Season:
This article presents a complex situation for Giants fans. Let’s break down the key themes for a discussion:
**I. The Tanking Dilemma:**
* Do you believe it’s ethical or acceptable for a team to intentionally lose games to secure a better draft position? Where do you draw the line between playing to win and strategically managing the long-term future of a franchise?
* This article mentions that Giants coach Brian Daboll prioritizes winning. How do you think this internal conflict betweenSTANDARD coaching philosophy and the potential long-term benefit of a higher draft pick will play out?
* Should Job security outweigh the long term interests of the team?
**II. The Implications for Players and Fans:**
* How do you think the players feel about potentially sacrificing wins for the sake of a better draft pick? How might this impact team morale and effort on the field?
* Does “Devito Mania” actually benefit the Giants in the long term, even if it means short-term losses?
* As a fan, how would you handle rooting for a team intentionally aiming to lose? Would it feel demoralizing or understandable given the context?
**III. The Broader Context of the NFL Draft:**
*
Do you think the NFL draft system incentivizes tanking? If so, what changes could be made to make it more fair for all teams?
* Should teams be penalized for “tanking”? If so, what form should these penalties take?
**IV. The Specific Case of the Giants:**
*
Based on the article’s analysis, how likely do you think it is that the Giants will secure the #1 pick?
* Looking beyond the draft, what other steps can the Giants take to improve their long-term prospects?
Remember, these questions are designed to spark discussion and explore various perspectives. There are no right or wrong answers; the goal is to engage in thoughtful and informed conversation.
