Brian Daboll makes controversial QB decision ahead of Ravens matchup

The New York Giants’ 2024 season has been a relentless grind of bad news, worse performances, and baffling decisions. With a record of 2-11 and a playoff elimination that feels like a distant memory, the franchise now appears to be playing for pride—or perhaps just out of contractual obligation.

This week, head coach Brian Daboll doubled down on a move that has fans scratching their heads yet again: he confirmed Drew Lock as the starter for Sunday’s matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, provided Lock is healthy enough to play.

Lock’s stat lines from the past two games hardly inspire confidence. He completed just 51.9% of his passes for a combined 405 yards, two interceptions, and zero touchdowns in losses to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints. Against NoLa, Lock became the first Giants quarterback ever to begin a game with eight straight incompletions. While he did provide a brief spark with his legs, rushing for a team-high 59 yards, his overall performance was emblematic of the Giants’ season: uninspired, inconsistent, and ultimately ineffective.

The Giants face the Ravens this week, a team sitting at 8-5 and fighting for playoff positioning in the AFC. Baltimore opened as a heavy favorite, and few are expecting a Drew Lock-led offense to offer much resistance. With nothing to lose, the decision to stick with Lock feels more puzzling than purposeful.

Brian Daboll plans to start Drew Lock vs. Baltimore Ravens if he's healthy

Update: Drew Lock is in a walking boot, therefore the NY Giants will likely turn to backup QB Tommy DeVito as the starting QB vs. the Ravens.

Daboll’s reasoning for staying with Lock seems rooted in stability, though the results suggest anything but. Speaking to the media on Monday, Daboll stated, “Drew will be at quarterback this week. Unless he can’t be. Based on injury.” Lock underwent an MRI after sustaining soreness in the loss to the Saints, but Daboll indicated the plan is to have him start if cleared.

For a team in full evaluation mode, this decision feels like a missed opportunity.

Tommy DeVito, who started in Week 12, has been relegated to backup duty despite showing flashes of competence last season. At this point, giving DeVito—or even a practice squad option—a shot might yield more insight than rolling with Lock, whose career resume of 28 touchdowns and 25 interceptions over five-plus seasons is a known commodity.

Starting Drew Lock against the Ravens seems less about winning and more about minimizing chaos, but even that goal feels out of reach. Lock’s performances so far have shown no evidence he’s the answer for the Giants, short-term or long-term. If anything, starting Lock signals a refusal to acknowledge the need for experimentation during a lost season.

The Giants are last in the NFL in scoring, averaging just 14.9 points per game. Daboll’s offensive system—once hailed as the spark that could rejuvenate this franchise—has floundered, with a league-high 25 penalties over the past two weeks adding insult to injury.

And yet, instead of trying something new, the team continues to tread water with Lock under center.

Against the Ravens’ defense, one that's recently found its footing, Lock faces an uphill battle to prove Daboll’s faith in him isn’t entirely misplaced. But given the state of the Giants, even a decent showing from Lock would likely be seen as too little, too late.

As the season inches toward its merciful conclusion, Daboll’s decision to stick with Lock will likely go down as yet another perplexing chapter in a year full of them. Fans hoping for a silver lining will have to keep waiting—perhaps until draft day.

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