At 2-8, there has not been much to be happy about or cheer for with the New York Giants this season. Big Blue is set to return from their bye this weekend to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and will be looking to snap their five-game losing streak and secure their first home win of the year.
It has simply been a miserable season for the Giants as the offense has once again struggled to score points, the defense has had its share of issues, and questionable coaching decisions have put Big Blue on pace for their seventh losing season in the last nine years. Despite all the woes New York has faced this year, these three things in particular are what Giants fans should be looking forward to in the second half of the season.
3 Things NY Giants fans can look forward to heading into Week 12
3. The return of star pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux
Big Blue's defense is set to have a major piece back in the lineup as the team announced this week that star pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux will be returning after a stint on the injured reserve list. Thibodeaux last played in Week 5 against the Seattle Seahawks and suffered a wrist injury that required surgery. Now, with his return set for this weekend in front of the Giants fanbase, this is something fans should be very excited about.
Before the former first-round pick went down with that injury, the Giants' defense was playing at an elite level, allowing 21 points or fewer in those five games. While Thibodeaux was not the sole x-factor in the Giants' early-season dominance on defense, his return is still something to look forward to.
Thibodeaux is just a year removed from setting a career high in sacks with 11.5 in 2023, and although he has compiled just two sacks so far in his injury-plagued season, his return at full strength will energize Giants fans, especially when he records his first sack back from injury.
2. The surprise emergence of Tyrone Tracy Jr.
Entering this season, fifth-round draft pick Tyrone Tracy Jr. was not expected to get the bulk of the reps at the running back position for the Giants. Especially after the team signed veteran running back Devin Singletary to a three-year deal, the Giants appeared set on him being their starting running back this season.
However, after Singletary was forced to miss two games early in the regular season due to injury, Tracy took advantage of the opportunity and has not looked back. His breakout rookie season is something Giants fans will be eager to watch during the second half of the season.
This season, the 24-year-old has recorded 545 rushing yards, the most by a rookie in the NFL. He has averaged over five yards per carry and scored three touchdowns. After another 100-yard performance against the Carolina Panthers in Week 10, Tracy now has three games with over 100 rushing yards as he continues to impress both the Giants and their fans.
Nobody expected this level of production from Tracy, and despite losing Saquon Barkley to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he is having a career year, Giants fans have plenty to celebrate with the emergence of their rookie running back.
1. The return of "Tommy Cutlets" as the signal-caller
It was bound to happen at some point this season, as the persistent struggles of Daniel Jones finally led Brian Daboll to make a quarterback change. Even though Drew Lock has been the backup quarterback for New York this season, Daboll and his staff have chosen to go with Tommy DeVito. After his late-season heroics last year for the Giants, fans are certainly excited to see "Tommy Cutlets" return to the field.
DeVito emerged as an unsung hero for the Giants last season, appearing in six games and putting together impressive numbers. He passed for over 1,100 yards with six touchdowns to three interceptions while completing nearly 65% of his passes. He also led the Giants to three straight wins, including a memorable Week 14 victory on Monday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers, where he orchestrated a game-winning drive to set up the decisive field goal.
Now, the young signal-caller has the chance to build on the surprising run he had last season with Daboll naming him the starter. Although he struggled following his three-game winning streak, which led to him being benched for the remainder of the season, many Giants fans still believe DeVito is an upgrade over Jones at quarterback. Fans are eager to see what he can do to elevate the Giants' offense.