ARLINGTON, Texas — Drew Lock finally took the field as the starting quarterback for the New York Giants and managed to help the team take their first lead in seven games. Unfortunately, his two turnovers resulted in touchdowns for the Dallas Cowboys. Lock acknowledged the need to handle the ball better, stating, “Take care of the ball, and it’d be a good game.”
In a season filled with challenges, Lock became the third different QB to start for the Giants in just three games. Daniel Jones was benched and later released, followed by Tommy DeVito, who suffered a sore throwing arm. On Thanksgiving Day, the Giants fell 27-20, marking them as the first team in the NFL to reach 10 losses this season. The Giants’ current seven-game losing streak is their longest since 2019, when they recorded a nine-game losing streak and finished the season with a 4-12 record.
Giants coach Brian Daboll noted that while Lock showed promise, the two critical turnovers were detrimental to the game. He emphasized that those turnovers cannot happen. Additionally, the Giants were penalized 13 times, gaining a total of 98 yards lost.
The turning point came in the second quarter when Dallas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown returned an interception for a 23-yard touchdown. After being momentarily distracted by a screen pass from Devin Singletary, Overshown managed to tip the ball to himself, capitalizing on Lock’s throw. Overshown also recovered a fumble from Lock following a sack just after halftime, leading to a 38-yard drive that extended Dallas’s lead to 20-10.
Before this struggle, the Giants hadn’t held a lead since their win against Seattle on October 6. They finally went ahead during their opening drive on Thanksgiving when Tyrone Tracy scored a 1-yard touchdown, making it 7-3. Lock’s impressive 28-yard scramble on third-and-6 was initially ruled a touchdown but was later overturned due to replay showing that the ball hadn’t crossed the goal line.
Lock ended the game with 57 rushing yards on four carries, including an 8-yard touchdown with just over two minutes remaining. He completed 21 of 32 passes for 178 yards but was sacked six times. Reflecting on the loss, Lock expressed his disappointment but also mentioned the thrill of playing on Thanksgiving. “It was an awesome opportunity to come out here and play. Wish we could have gotten it done,” he said.
Lock had been the backup for Jones but remained the second-string QB when the decision to start DeVito was made. DeVito experienced a challenging game against Tampa Bay, completing 21 of 31 passes for 189 yards in a 30-7 defeat, suffering from four sacks and taking a hard hit in the fourth quarter. Lock, a second-round draft pick from Denver in 2019, has started 21 of 24 games during his time with the Broncos and had one win and one loss as a starter for Seattle last season.
Daboll mentioned that DeVito was not severely injured, just a bit swollen and sore, hinting at a potential return for the upcoming game at home against New Orleans on December 8. However, the coach refrained from announcing who would be the starting quarterback for that match.
“We just got done playing here,” said Daboll. “We’ll have a few days to review this game and make our decisions moving forward.”