In Week 15 of this NFL season, injuries continue to take a toll on teams. New York Giants rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito found himself sidelined in the first half of Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints after getting hit by Saints cornerback Isaac Yiadom.
The impact left DeVito's head slamming against the turf, prompting the Giants' medical staff to swiftly usher him to the medical tent for a thorough examination. Notably, no penalty flag was thrown for the incident.
Stepping in for the injured DeVito, Tyrod Taylor took charge of the second quarter. He oversaw the last four offensive snaps of the first half and completed two short passes for a total of 13 yards.
DeVito made a comeback for the Giants' first possession of the third quarter. After undergoing evaluation for a potential concussion, DeVito received clearance to resume play. However, the Giants lost 6-24 to the Saints.
DeVito's emergence has been a crucial development for the Giants in recent weeks as he took over as the quarterback in Week 8 when Taylor got injured. Taylor, meanwhile, had also stepped in for Daniel Jones, who had an ACL tear earlier in the season. DeVito boasts a 3-1 record for his first four games as a starter for the Giants.
Earlier in the game against the Saints, Giants’ kicker Randy Bullock strained his hamstring during a first-quarter kickoff, possibly a consequence of the impact on the ground during the kick. The kicker had previously made a 56-yard field goal in the first quarter, giving his team a 3-0 lead. However, his injury raised doubts about his return to the game as he was listed as questionable. In his place, punter Jamie Gillan narrowed the Saints' lead to 7-6 at halftime.
"At halftime, I just ran into the locker room real quick and grabbed a drink, and I was right back out there, I would have to be kicking field goals," Gillan said.
"That's a whole different mindset for me. I'm focused on doing my job and doing it to the best of my ability. And now I had another job."
The Giants have been grappling with hamstring injuries throughout the year, raising concerns about Bullock’s condition. The team had previously acquired second-year kicker Cade York as a backup kicker. If Bullock's injury proves significant, York will likely take over kicking duties in the next game.
Jets struggles this season
In addition to the Giants' injury setbacks, the New York Jets also faced struggles in their much-anticipated season as quarterback Zach Wilson suffered a concussion and was ruled out of the game just before halftime in a 30-0 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
The defeat, however, dealt a severe blow to the Jets' already slim playoff chances. It also officially eliminated them from contention as the Houston Texans secured an overtime victory against the Tennessee Titans.
Wilson’s injury has also clouded the chances of quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ comeback into the season following his torn Achilles since Week 1, despite Rodgers being nearly cleared to return.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport previously reported on Saturday that the outcome of the Jets' game against Miami would impact the decision to activate Rodgers off injured reserve before the upcoming Wednesday deadline.
Given the disappointing results of the Jets' game and their elimination from playoff contention, reports said it was unlikely that the four-time Most Valuable Player would return to the 53-man roster in the immediate future.