New Orleans Saints defense focusing on Giants system after quarterback change

The New Orleans Saints have experienced a starting quarterback change of their own this season, but nothing like what the New York Giants have on their ledger.

Drew Lock is scheduled to start Sunday for the Giants (2-10) when they play the Saints (4-8) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. He’ll be New York’s third starter this season – all in the last four games, including three in a row after season-opening starter Daniel Jones was benched after playing Carolina on Nov. 10, then released days later.

The Saints started Spencer Rattler three games while Derek Carr recovered from an oblique injury.

The Giants’ change came during a season-long malaise that has seen New York enter Sunday on a seven-game losing streak, with an offense that scores a league-low 15.3 points per game and has had eight games of less than 20 points scored.

Jones initially was replaced by Tommy DeVito, who started against Tampa Bay, completed 21 of 31 passes for 189 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions, and was sacked four times in the 30-7 loss.

DeVito injured his right forearm in that game, opening the door for Lock to start against Dallas on Thanksgiving. Lock completed 21 of 32 passes for 178 yards, with no touchdowns and an interception that was returned for a touchdown, and he was sacked six times.

With DeVito returning to 100 percent – he practiced on a limited basis Wednesday and upgraded to full practice Thursday – Lock is back at the helm Sunday. The Saints have looked at the offensive system as much as the quarterbacks.

“The Giants system is the system,” Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi said. “I think both those guys have different attributes, some better than others for both guys, like any player. You’ve got to look and see in the past what they’ve done in the offense that they ran.

“But (Giants coach) Brian (Daboll) is a great creative offensive mind. They have a great gameplan and we have to be ready for all and any. We’ll be ready for both guys.

“Tommy and Drew are both dangerous players, they’re both good quarterbacks. I know Drew is going to start, we’ve got to be ready for Tommy at some point if he gets better throughout the week and comes in. We’ve got to have a plan for both guys.”

That plan includes awareness of the mobility of each. Lock ran for 57 yards and a touchdown on four carries against Dallas, and DeVito ran for 32 yards on seven carries against the Buccaneers.

“I think you’ve got to look at both guys and understand how they play,” said Saints defensive tackle Bryan Bresee, who has a team-leading 6.5 sacks, including 2.5 in the last two games.

“As D-linemen, as you’ve got a quarterback – both of them – that are agile and able to run, you’ve got to look at our rush lanes, how we’re going to rush them, how we’re going to stop them and just affect them,” Bresee said. “Either guy. We’ve got to look at them and just know what we’ve got to do to affect them.”

And, Rizzi said, the Saints can’t overlook the other elements that can make the Giants dangerous: Rookie receiver Malik Nabors from LSU has 740 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 75 catches, and rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. has 619 yards and four touchdowns on 125 carries.

“I think (Daboll) has always done a phenomenal job with the tools and the pieces that he was given and that he’s had,” Rizzi said. “No matter where he’s been, they’ve always done a good job. He’s very creative; you’ve got to always be ready for something new.

“They’ve always been able to run the ball; I think that’s one of the things they’ve done a good job of this year with a young back and a veteran back. They have a play-maker on the outside in Nabors.”

And they have a quarterback – Lock or DeVito – making his second start amid a season of upheaval.