Post-Game Transcript: QB Tommy DeVito

NYG Postgame (vs. Patriots) Transcripts: QB Tommy DeVito

November 26, 2023

Q: How does it feel to win your first start at MetLife?

A: It feels great. Any game after a win is awesome, but to be able to do it here at home for my first time is surreal. I’m going to enjoy the moment.

Q: What was going through your head when that field went wide left?

A: About time we got a little lucky. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. Heard that saying a lot when I was growing up, but worked out for us, we got the win.

Q: Take us back to really pregame intros, did you expect that kind of reaction when you came out last as the starting offense?

A: I did not, no. I didn’t know until we were right there like, you’re up last. And it said ‘DeVito’ and it had a little emoji next to it, I thought that was kind of funny, but yeah, it was surreal.

Q: To hear the crowd that way, I mean was that like –

A: I’m not going to lie, I kind of blacked out. I was kind of just in my element I didn’t know if people were cheering or booing or what was going on, it could’ve been anything, but I was just locked in, enjoying it.

Q: Your touchdown pass and (wide receiver Isaiah) Hodgins, what he did with the ball afterwards. The touchdown pass.

A: What he did with the ball?

Q: No, what he did to get into the endzone?

A: Oh. Playing with his frame like he did. It was awesome to be able to throw a maybe like five-yard route and then see him make somebody miss like that. Use his size, use his body, throw the dude off him and find his way in the endzone, it’s awesome. He makes your job as a quarterback a lot easier.

Q: You guys did like a high five, but not a high five. What do you call that?

A: Everybody is doing it at this point, I don’t know. I’m cool with it. It’s just a vibe, it’s a lot of fun so.

Q: A high vibe?

A: Huh?

Q: What did you call it? A high what?

A: No, it’s a high (finger pinch), you know?

Q: What’s the word for it?

A: There is no word for it. I don’t think there is a word for it. Is there a word for it? Usually when you type in an emoji on like iMessage, like it’ll pop up. I don’t know if there is like a –

Q: At this point I think it’s the DeVito.

A: It might be, but we’ll just keep on rolling with it.

Q: How much fun was this for you today?

A: A lot of fun. It was mentioned to me before the game, I didn’t even think about it. The last time I started here was in high school, my state championship and I was like oh. I was like yep, played in the stadium before. Be able to actually like start and play the game from start to finish, it’s a lot of fun.

Q: Do you get a sense of how contagious the fun that you are having is to the other guys?

A: Yeah, I try to bring that energy all the time. I respect this game so much, but at the same time it’s a child’s game in my eyes. So, I try to have fun with it. Like I was when I was kid, when I was five years old playing with my friends in the backyard and I try to just bring that throughout practice. It is a job, it is stressful. You are in all day meetings and workouts, so it’s like when you’re on the field, enjoy it and have fun with it. Bring your own kind of confidence and swagger. Kind of talk about that a lot, Kaf (offensive coordinator Mike Kafka) talks about that a lot in our offensive meetings. To let your personality show, and I just try to do that every play.

Q: We talk so much about complimentary football and the defense set up all the points. How special is a win like that when everyone playing on both sides of the ball? Getting the job done on both sides of the ball.

A: It’s awesome. All three units, offense, defense, and special teams. It takes all that to win. Sometimes you can get away with one lacking, but today we needed all three and the defense and special teams helped out the offense a lot.

Q: How about getting Isaiah Hodgins a touchdown today?

A: Yeah, it was awesome. I’m trying to get everybody a touchdown, right (laughs). Just to see him get in the endzone though, I mean the way he did it, physical, dominant and I was so happy for him.

Q: And how about (wide receiver) Jalin (Hyatt)? What’s he like as a receiver, like quarterback to receiver, what’s that like with him and his speed?

A: Yeah, he’s quarterback friendly. I mean anybody that’s that fast and can make the plays that he makes is quarterback friendly, so it makes a lot easier to put those balls up for him, but he’s just a special individual. Special player, route runner, whatever you want to call it and he’s a confident dude. He tells me he’s like ‘I’m going to go get this ball for you’ like if we call this, I’m going to make play. So, it takes a lot off my shoulders.

Q: Has it sunk in that you just beat (Patriots head coach) Bill Belichick’s defense?

A: Not necessarily so much. I mean I said it earlier in the week like I respect him and everything that he’s brought to this game. He’s one of the best, if not the best coaches to ever come through this game, but at the end of the day he was not on the defense playing against me. His team was, he was coaching them, but he was not actually on the field, so I didn’t think about it as so much of that sort.

Q: You’ve been sacked a lot of times in the first couple starts, but that’s something that a lot of quarterbacks in the NFL don’t win games getting sacked a lot. You’ve done that. While you have won games for the New York Giants, specifically two straight, what are some things you could do to ready up your pocket presence a little bit more? Is it a communication thing with the o-line, what’s the scoop?

A: It’s more of just getting the ball out quicker. There’s give and take with all of it. Some of them could’ve been coverage deals, I just got to make some more plays. Start running it a little bit more, maybe a little sooner getting the ball out of my hands, using some throw aways more. So, I’ll definitely be able to watch every snap that I’ve had so far during this bye week to be able to reevaluate myself and learn from it.

Q: Who do you think is waiting for you outside here?

A: I honestly don’t know. I’m about ready to get up out of there though and go check it out, but I know my family is out there, so I’m going to be excited to see all them, I had a lot of friends and family here, so just excited to see everybody.

Q: What was the final count, do you know?

A: I’m not sure. I’m not sure, I think it was over 100. I don’t know if it was as crazy as that preseason game, but there was a lot of people here.

Q: I know it has been a lot of focus on you being a great story, are you happy that people might be talking about you now as a good quarterback?

A: I mean yeah, I think it’s a respect thing, is what it is. I’m going to go out and try to prove myself every single time I step on the field, whether if I would’ve been drafted number one overall or undrafted as I was, you need to go out and prove yourself. That status and all that doesn’t really mean anything, but how you go out and play means something.

Q: The more people talk about you for things that are non-football, is this extra satisfying to know that your football has now gained that attention?

A: Yes and no. I’m not really an attention seeker, but more eyes are going to be on you, so it’s going to be more criticism always, like always, but I’m just going to continue to go out, do what I do, try to lead the team to score points and win football games.

Q: How is going into the bye week with a win like that?

A: It’s awesome. It’s a good – you know you’ll be able to really decompress, relax a little bit, but then get back into this next week, but really just enjoy it. I mean to have two back-to-back, we are starting to get some real energy back, get some swagger back across the team, so I think it was really important to get it, especially before this bye week.