Giants' Tim Boyle may be best option at QB to finish season
Tim Boyle of the New York Giants throws a pass during the third quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
If any stat defines the Giants 2-12 record, it’s this. The Giants have run out more quarterbacks at home than touchdown passes or wins
Four different quarterbacks have thrown passes at MetLife Stadium but only three ended in touchdowns. Only two quarterbacks have thrown them: Daniel Jones, since released and now with the Vikings, and Tim Boyle, who played the second half in Sunday's loss.
Want answers for why the Giants are 0-8 at home for the first time in team history and last in the NFL in scoring at 14.9 points per game? Look no further than their quarterback instability. Sunday’s ninth consecutive loss also revealed a painful truth. What if Boyle is the best answer to finish this season? What if that one half of football provided more hope than Tommy DeVito or Drew Lock?
Boyle wasn’t afraid to throw downfield against the Ravens. The 30-year-old didn’t look nervous for someone playing his first reps with the Giants’ first team. He was only sacked once and knew to get the ball to Malik Nabers, who he targeted eight times for five catches, including their 23-yard touchdown connection.
“When everything’s equal, No. 1 is pretty special,” Boyle said about Nabers. “So, always in the back of your mind, as a quarterback at the Giants, you kind of always know where No. 1 is if things go a wire. It’s one of those (where you) feel pretty good about your matchup on a 50/50 ball.”
To be clear, Boyle’s numbers weren’t impressive. He completed 50% of his passes and his longest completion went for 25 yards. He also played a Ravens defense that entered Sunday last in passing defense.
Then again, DeVito’s longest pass Sunday before his exit with a concussion? 16 yards. So Boyle at least looked better even if his play was average.
“I thought he made some nice throws. He was decisive with the football,” Daboll said Monday. “He was ready to go. He was prepared. He's worked extremely hard since he's been here.”
It goes back to the Giants’ front office and general manager Joe Schoen. They lacked a plan behind Jones, who was ineffective before his ACL injury last season and remained that way until his release
How does a quarterback signed to the practice squad four weeks ago in Boyle look better than your two backups? How could the Giants not have better depth behind Jones based on his sub-par play the previous five seasons.
Now the quarterback situation is in flux. DeVito’s in concussion protocol. Lock is still recovering from a heel injury. Wednesday will determine how healthy either are for Sunday’s game at the Falcons.
So why not just trot Boyle out Sunday and see what he can do over a full game. It happened with Lock being elevated to start above DeVito two weeks ago against the Saints.
DeVito was coming off a forearm injury but was a full participant in practice that Thursday and Friday. Yet Lock got his second straight start after his first full week of practice. He started 0-for-8 passing and remained shaky even as the Giants nearly rallied from an 11-point fourth quarter deficit.
At this point, the Giants’ odds aren’t much better with Boyle. With three games left, they’re slotted at the No. 1 overall pick per NFL.com and that’s the only thing at stake in this miserable season.
The issue isn’t who starts at quarterback Sunday. It’s who’s drafted as the Giants’ next one on April 24. But the lessons learned from this year’s quarterback mess still apply next season. Whoever the Giants draft has to do what Jones couldn’t as a top-10 pick in 2019. The team also needs a sound backup plan instead of throwing that new first-round pick to the wolves. They need a bridge quarterback to serve as a mentor and hold things steady until the new kid is ready to take over.
Yet how can fans trust Schoen and Co. to find a capable backup? They showed poor judgment this season with who they chose behind Jones. That can't repeat in 2025 when the newest first-round pick arrives to be the savior.
This season should be enough shame to motivate not messing up the quarterback room again with who they draft or place behind him. For now, don’t be surprised if Boyle starts Sunday. It’d be fitting with the Giants unable to find half-decent quarterback play until December.
Notes & quotes: The Giants’ Week 17 home finale against the Colts is set for 1 p.m. on Dec. 29, per the NFL. The game will be televised on Fox.
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
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