Let’s be clear. New York Giants leave Washington with a 31-19 win six Takeaways. The defense put on a show with punted balls and multiple interceptions, including Isaiah Simmons’ game-clinching pick-six. It was an inspired performance from a Giants team that surrendered 640 yards and 49 points to the Dallas Cowboys just a week ago and had a chance to finish the season with the league’s worst record before Sunday’s win.
Waiting on the New York sideline to take advantage of the Commanders’ mistakes was undrafted rookie Tommy DeVito, who started the season as the Giants’ third-string quarterback. DeVito, who gained attention three weeks ago after injuries to Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor, played his best game as a pro on Sunday. He scored three goals; It’s a feat not often seen by Giants’ quarterbacks these days — Daniel Jones last accomplished it in December 2019. DeVito, whose initials are TD, also had 246 passing yards and no interceptions.
Relating to: NFL recap: Lions roar late as Browns win without Deshaun Watson
DeVito and his offensive line weren’t perfect, but they got the job done. With any semblance of a pass rush, DeVito went down. He was fired nine times; A lot of this happened because of a rookie who just couldn’t grasp the speed of the game. But when he had time, he made accurate shots. including this beauty To Saquon Barkley for a touchdown.
Growing up near the Giants in New Jersey, DeVito has a personality that leaps off the screen and wins over fans at every turn. But the biggest story around him until Sunday was the revelation that he was still living with his family; He said the move was “a no-brainer,” according to ESPN.
“I have everything I need at home,” DeVito said. “This decision was made because football at this level is stressful for a rookie, especially at the quarterback position. There’s a lot going on, there’s a lot of meetings. So everything outside of football is handled by my family.” When told the quarterback was living at home with his family, Barkley responded with shock. “Really?”
When we hear about names like Joe Burrow, Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes signing contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars, the idea of any NFL quarterback living at home seems odd. But beyond the conveniences like cooking dinner and doing laundry that DeVito boasts about, it makes sense.
Unlike Barkley, who will earn more than $10 million this year, DeVito is making $44,000 per game. He doesn’t get anything once he’s not on the Giants roster. It may seem like DeVito was a bit restrained given his role in a rare New York win, but we always see unexpected risers in the NFL tumble quickly.
Even if he survives this season, there’s no guarantee his career will be long. In fact, the average quarterback in the NFL only lives 4.4 years; That’s longer than the league’s 3.3-year average, but it’s not enough time to earn enough money to retire. The numbers are even worse due to the rookie pay scale and the lack of guaranteed contracts. The NFL is a billion-dollar business, and teams have $224.8 million in salary cap space, but that money isn’t evenly distributed among players, and those with shorter careers are also often the ones earning the lowest salaries.
Six-figure earnings will make you rich in most parts of the United States, but the cost of living in the New York Metro area is prohibitive. Not only are rent and home prices sky-high, but healthcare, food, and entertainment expenses are all covered by a “New York premium.”
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy can understand this. He’s making nearly $1 million this year, but that’s not an extraordinary salary in the San Francisco Bay Area. Purdy lives smartly with a roommate and keeps things simple by driving a Toyota SUV.
It makes perfect sense, given DeVito and Purdy’s living conditions, geography, and lack of guaranteed money. Purdy will be in the league for a while, but DeVito doesn’t know how long his NFL career will last, and the money he’s making this year is, make no mistake, very nice. However, this is not enough to prepare him for life. Why not save while you see what the future will be like? It also makes perfect sense from a psychological perspective. These are men in their early 20s, mostly without partners and children. If you don’t have a support system, the NFL’s outlook can be harsh. There’s no shame in going home and playing video games with your roommate or leaving your mom waiting with a warm hug and a bowl of spaghetti bolognese. Just don’t forget to cuddle with him before going to bed.
MVP of the week
Brock Purdy, quarterback, San Francisco 49ers. Speaking of money-saving quarterbacks: Mr. Irrelevant was Mr. Perfection in the 49ers’ 27-14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Purdy’s quarterback rating of 158.3 makes him the first 49ers quarterback to achieve a perfect rating since a few random players named Joe Montana and Steve Young did it in 1989.
Purdy’s perfect score shows that he was nearly perfect, throwing for three touchdowns, 333 yards and no interceptions. He debunked any notion that his car was about to turn into a pumpkin. He sees the field with precision and hits receivers from all angles and distances. Purdy’s 76-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Aiyuk was the longest TD pass in the NFL this season; Until Buffalo’s Josh Allen hit Khalil Shakir for 81 yards, at least for a few hours. The question now regarding Purdy’s car is whether it will be graced with an MVP award soon.
Status of the week
48-0. It was a record List of teams with +3 turnovers and at least 40 minutes of possession since 1932. And then the Chicago Bears showed up on Sunday. While Chicago absolutely should have beaten the Detroit Lions, they lost 31-26 after leading for 12 minutes with just over four minutes left in the game. But instead of trying to win, Bears head coach (for now) Matt Eberflus played to avoid losing. He had an opportunity to put the game away on fourth-and-one late but chose to kick a field goal instead. Having the in-form Justin Fields at center was a decision that made no sense. Then with 2:59 remaining and a chance to put the game away, Chicago scored a three and made two predictable back-to-back runs, followed by a deep, incomplete pass on third-and-long. Fields, who played really well, and all of Chicago deserve better.
Video of the week
Tyreek Hill is a human lightning bolt. Thanks in large part to Hill’s speed, the Miami Dolphins won a close game 20-13 against the resurgent Las Vegas Raiders. At 7-3 (and 5-0 at home), the Dolphins sit well atop the AFC East, with the Jets, Commanders and Titans closing in on the schedule. Las Vegas, meanwhile, turned in another spirited performance under interim coach Antonio Pierce: Dolphins players, including Hill, praised the new-look Raiders: “Their head coach changed their mindset.”
Elsewhere in the league
— The Los Angeles Chargers scored the fourth-most points in the NFL, but conceded the most points in Justin Herbert’s first 59 career starts. Sunday was his 60th game, but this time his defense wasn’t the only thing that let him down in the Chargers’ 23-20 loss to the Packers, their fifth one-score defeat this season. Keenan Allen made the simplest catch at the goal line (one of two in the red zone), Quentin Johnson allowed another deep into Packers territory on the Chargers’ final drive, and Austin Ekeler fumbled at Green Bay’s two-yard line. The Chargers’ three downs were the most in the red zone since ESPN began recording the stats in 2006. At one point, the usually low-key Herbert dropped the ball in frustration, and it was hard not to sympathize with the excellent young quarterback. He is constantly let down by those around him, including his angry head coach Brandon Staley.
— Los Angeles Rams defeated the Seattle Seahawks 17-16, missing a 55-yard field goal by Jason Myers, who scored 15 consecutive points. Los Angeles was assisted by Drew Lock, who entered for the injured Geno Smith and made an interception that turned into a Rams field goal. Smith was great on Seattle’s first drive and came back on the final drive to set up the potential game winner. With Seattle’s loss, San Francisco moves into sole possession of first place in the NFC West before the teams meet on Thursday night.
— Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris was not a happy camper after his team’s 13-10 loss to Cleveland. “I’m sick of this bullshit,” Harris said, referring to the Steelers’ incompetent, predictable offense. Kenny Pickett showed little grit and only threw for 106 yards. To be fair, he was terrorized by Myles Garrett for much of the game (including the safety, who just called for a sack). Meanwhile, rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson earned his first NFL win and Cleveland continues to advance, having won five of its last six games.
— Josh Allen had a nice comeback game as the Buffalo Bills defeated the New York Jets 32-6. Buffalo’s 32 points were the most points allowed by the Jets defense this season. They were on the field in defense too much Thanks to one of Zach Wilson’s most embarrassing quarterback performances in recent memory. He was replaced by Tim Boyle late in the game, and for the first time this season Jets head coach Robert Saleh refused to name Wilson as the team’s starter.
— Micah Parsons, the Cowboys’ hybrid, all-around defensive powerhouse, continued his season (and career) dominance as Dallas beat the Carolina Panthers 33-10. Parsons had 2.5 sacks, bringing his season total to 10. He became the first Cowboys player in history to record double-digit sacks in each of his first three seasons.
— Remember the Denver Broncos, who gave up 70 points against the Dolphins and then fell to 1-5. These are yesterday’s news. Russell Wilson and Sean Payton have led a mini revival for the Rockies, and Denver is now 5-5 after Sunday’s 21-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. They are also in contention for the AFC’s final wildcard spot.
– A small glimmer of hope for some of the NFL’s bottom feeders (other than the Panthers). The top five picks for next year’s draft are as follows:
1) Chicago Bears (via Carolina Panthers), 1-9
2) Arizona Cardinals, 2-9
3) New England Patriots, 2-8
4) Chicago Bears, 3-8
5) New York Giants, 3-8