Quotes (11/20): Coach Brian Daboll, QB Daniel Jones, DL Dexter Lawrence, QB Drew Lock

Q: What does this opportunity mean to you?

TOMMY DEVITO: It means a lot. Just another opportunity to get out on the field, showcase my abilities, play for my teammates and the organization.

Q: What is your message to your teammates as you take over?

TOMMY DEVITO: Same thing as it was last year, I’m going to give you everything I can on the field. I put my heart and soul into it all the time, leading up to it, the preparation, and ultimately going out and playing on game day. But most importantly, enjoying doing it.

Q: How do you feel for your friend, (quarterback) Daniel Jones?

TOMMY DEVITO: I feel like he’s been a very close teammate to mine, especially last year. He kind of took me under his wing. Still to this day, even in the meetings today, he’s going through everything with me, sorting out some little detail things. If he sees something, correcting it, helping me out in any way, shape, or form.

Q: What is different this year compared to last year? You were backing up (Jets quarterback) Tyrod (Taylor) at that time. So, you had those snaps in the second team. How prepared do you feel this time around?

TOMMY DEVITO: Yeah, I think just the opportunity I had last year to be able to play in games was all the difference it was to now. I have a year under my belt. I’ve played in preseason games, practice, and real games, so it’s a little different this time around.

Q: When did you find out and how much have you been able to prepare to be QB1?

TOMMY DEVITO: I found out Monday morning, probably five minutes before you guys did. But yeah, it’s been good. Everybody’s been supportive. Just continuing to grind and get ready for Sunday.

Q: How do you feel your skill set has improved or changed since last year?

TOMMY DEVITO: Yeah, a lot mentally. Trying to avoid more negative plays than I was. Sometimes taking some sacks where I could have found a way to get the ball out or just make a better decision. So really just the growth from year one to year two of watching a lot more film of myself, of other people and just getting some more ideas for when I’m out there.

Q: (Head Coach) Brian (Daboll) had said there are some new skill position players on the roster compared to where you were in there last year. How comfortable are you with those guys right now?

TOMMY DEVITO: Very. Yeah, I’m going to get more and more comfortable throughout the week. I haven’t had a ton of reps with them, obviously, this year if you will. I got a good amount in OTAs, which was definitely helpful, so I know how people move. And then the guys who were here last year, I know how they move. So just being able to get the ball in their hands and let them do what they do.

Q: You share the quarterback room with (quarterback Drew) Lock and with Jones. What are your feelings personally? You’re the guy that’s been elevated here and those guys will not be playing.

TOMMY DEVITO: We have a really tight group. I think that everybody knows it’s not our decision. It’s the coach’s decision, the organization’s decision, so it’s nothing – there’s no bad blood for any one of us, no matter who it was, whoever’s going, we’re always just supportive of each other because all three of us have been in that situation where you’re not starting, or you are starting, and when you are starting, you just want all the support possible, and there’s no elephant in the room, there’s nothing like that. And I think that we have a really good group here, and they’re supporting me really well as me and Drew were supporting DJ, Drew was supporting me, it would be the same way all the way around.

Q: Were you surprised by the news Monday morning?

TOMMY DEVITO: I wouldn’t say surprised, I was open for all outcomes. It’s kind of something that I’ve been preparing for since last year. You always say, ‘stay ready, even though you’re quarterback three. Stay ready, you never know’. And it’s kind of similar to last year, you never know. But continuing to work throughout this whole season so far, learn, practice, just make the most of it, so that way when the opportunity comes, you’ll be ready for it.

Q: How did you keep that positive mindset when you were a backup? You started last year, to be ready for this time what was the strength of that mindset?

TOMMY DEVITO: I think it’s easier for me, personally, just because I went through it last year. Like, last year, it kind of hit me a little crazier, because I was like, ‘quarterback three, how often does it really get to quarterback three’, versus, ‘I was real, I lived that last year’. So, I came into it with a different mindset this year, especially during OTAs and during camp, so, to have that under my belt, it means a lot.

Q: What’s your message to the fans, in terms of how much fun you can bring to the equation here, and how you have a chance to win?

TOMMY DEVITO: For sure, you’re here to win a football game, I mean you don’t go out on the field without trying to win. We feed off of the crowd tremendously, when the crowd is into it, it helps keep us going, especially if something negative happens, the more they cheer for us, the more people are there, the excitement, the environment makes all the difference in the outcome of the game.

Q: Have you seen all the Italian and New Jersey memes, and the chicken cutlet memes?

TOMMY DEVITO: I try not to. I think my mom sends me a couple here and there, but I’m really kind of staying off social media and the outside stuff, trying to really hone in on football, and this week coming forward.

Q: How important is that for you? You were a celebrity last year was kind of unexpected, and now everybody knows you a heck of a lot more than they did the last year, but you’ve mentioned that before, the idea of how it’s all about the football for you. How important is that, that you are known for the football and not for everything else?

TOMMY DEVITO: Very. Like I said, last year was a good story and all, it was kind of like how it happened, but all the fun and games outside, it was fun, it was last year, I’m kind of over that, I’m sticking to football now, not that I wasn’t before, but really focused on that, the external stuff will be on pause. I already had talks with everybody around me, my inner circle, it is going to stay very tight and make sure that everything is about productions on Sunday.

Q: Do you think you can provide a spark? One of the things Brian Daboll said is you can provide a spark; do you think you can provide a spark?

TOMMY DEVITO: Yeah, I think I bring a certain confidence, energy, swag, whatever you call it, to the team, to the people around me. I think I’ve kind of always had that growing up from when I was even younger, so I kind of just bring that energy, it’s all about really enjoying it for me, I kind of said that last year. It’s like, it is a children’s game, obviously there’s a lot more money and a lot more stakes into it, but at the same time, if you don’t enjoy going out there, you don’t play with the same kind of passion that you would if you did, so really just trying to keep everybody’s high spirits up, enjoy it, and just bring energy when I’m out there.

Q: From what you’ve seen, why hasn’t the offense clicked as well as anyone kind of hoped going into the season?

TOMMY DEVITO: Yeah, I think it just comes down to the small details. Everybody, I’m sure, across the league, it’s always the little things, we’re like, ‘one play here, one play there’. But ultimately, that’s what it is, we weren’t scoring points in the red zone situations, we just were missing the smallest details, so it’s a block here, a pass, a catch, and it’s literally so many things that it all just adds up and we’re accumulated into that not being as productive as we can be. So just trying to hone in on those details and execute those harder.

Q: What is it going to be like to walk into that stadium on Sunday as the starting quarterback of the New York Football Giants?

TOMMY DEVITO: It’s going to be a lot of fun. I’ve been there before, so I know what to expect. I know it can be an exciting one, so I look forward to it.

Q: You said a year ago that you proved you belong with the way you played in those six games, what do you have to prove now?

TOMMY DEVITO: Just to continue to build off it and show the growth from year one to year two, that was the rookie year version of myself, someone who has not been around the NFL at all. So, now have a year under my belt, I have a lot of high expectations for myself and continue just to evolve into that next step of player of what I need to be as far as making the decisions, staying in the green, trying to push the offense down to score points and ultimately lead the team.

Q: But how is the decision received in the locker room, just the quarterback change in general?

TOMMY DEVITO: Yeah, I’ve gotten a ton of support from everybody in the locker room, a ton of support. We understand how things went down, you feel for other people because everybody is a human being, and especially in New York, it’s a pretty wild market if you will, with a lot of the outside noise and media. It can be swayed either way, but just continue to stay tight, especially in our group, we’re a really tight group in our room and we cheer each other on and there for each other no matter what, so to be able to have that in this room, it helps us a lot.

Q: How good does it feel? Before you even started talking with us, you hear your teammates yelling, Tommy Cutlets, DeVito, and all that.

TOMMY DEVITO: It’s good, I mean, I try to put everything into this for them. I play for the logo on the jersey, the name on my back, my teammates around me, my friends, family, the fans, I play for everybody, so I try to put my all into it and just continue to do that.