ARLINGTON, Texas – Drew Lock smiled, giggled a little and then paused before speaking.

The New York Giants’ starting quarterback – their third in three games – had just been asked during his postgame press conference on Thursday night what the last 24 hours had been like for him.

In that short span of time, he went from being Tommy DeVito’s backup to becoming the Giants’ starter in front of a national audience on Thanksgiving Day on the road against the division rival Dallas Cowboys.

Of course, the game didn’t go the way he wanted. Lock turned the ball over twice, the Giants lost 27-20 and fell to 2-10 on the season, and he kept getting knocked down. But Lock was in no mood to complain. As frustrating as defeat is, as disappointing as this season has been for him, and even though he knew he might not get another chance to start after his poor audition on Thursday, Lock was just grateful.

“You get upset when you lose, but it’s just fun,” Lock said. “You love football. You love being able to come here and play on Thanksgiving. You want to win. Upset that we didn’t do it. But I won’t forget the last 24 hours. Great opportunity to come and play here. I wish we could have done it. But I was very excited when I was told I was playing and coming here to try and get a win.”

Lock, who signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Giants this offseason, entered the season as the primary backup to Daniel Jones. But when the franchise benched its six-year starter last week, the coaching staff made another important decision: It named DeVito the Week 12 starter, not Lock.

Lock was understandably “upset” but promised not to let his disappointment show and said he would continue to be a good teammate.

But he didn’t have to wait long for his chance. Although DeVito was a starter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he didn’t escape the 30-7 loss unscathed. DeVito showed up on Tuesday’s injury report with a right forearm injury, and despite his intention to play on the short week, neither he nor the Giants were 100 percent sure he could.

On Wednesday, DeVito was downgraded to a non-practice participant for the walk-through after being listed as a limited participant on Tuesday. He did not accompany the team to Dallas but underwent further evaluation and arrived later Wednesday.

DeVito said after Thursday’s game that there was nothing structurally sound with his arm; he just couldn’t get it ready to play in time. He added that he could have played if the Giants’ game had been on Sunday.

“As a competitor, you want to be on the field every time,” DeVito said. “Just the timing of how things happened and when they happened, and then of course playing on a Thursday. It was really hard. Did everything I could. The training staff did their best. It just couldn’t happen.”

What a turbulent week, right?

It’s understandable that when Lock was asked about the timing of the events leading up to his start, he had to be reminded that it was only Thursday. He was told on Wednesday that he would likely start against the Cowboys, and by the time DeVito arrived in Dallas, the team knew for certain that Lock would be making his first start with the Giants.

Despite a few free throws, Lock hadn’t had a full practice as QB1 with the team since the spring: “Nothing full throttle, no.”

He was playing one snap against the Bucs when DeVito came out briefly. He previously played the fourth quarter of the Week 7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles – the first time Jones was on the bench. But that was the extent of his experience as New York’s quarterback before Sunday.

However, Daboll didn’t think a lack of preparation was an excuse for Lock’s mostly poor game on Thursday – he completed 21 of 32 passes for 178 yards with one interception, 57 rushing yards, one touchdown and a lost fumble. He also took six sacks.

“Drew did that for a while,” Daboll said of the six-year NFL veteran. “I thought Drew did some good things, but, you know, two big turnovers – one on a screen where we had a big chance to make a big play, and then he came out in the second half, went in the pocket and got the ball is out. Such sales cannot exist.”

CONVINCES WITH A FANTASTIC PICK-6 FOR Thanksgiving!

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The pick six was a setback as it gave the Cowboys a 13-7 lead and momentum. The Giants never recovered. Dallas eventually extended its lead to 27-10 before Lock made a mini comeback.

The Giants scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, including an 8-yard touchdown run by Lock with 2:23 remaining, to close the deficit to 27-20, but the defense couldn’t stop the Cowboys from running out the clock make and finish the game.

Drew Lock sums it up! Play with only one possession.

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– NFL (@NFL) November 29, 2024

After an eventful week and a half in the Giants’ quarterbacks room, the future holds even more unknowns. Will Daboll return to DeVito or stay with Lock? Daboll said DeVito could likely be ready for the Giants’ next game (Dec. 8 against the New Orleans Saints). When asked directly whether DeVito was still the quarterback even when healthy, Daboll dismissed the decision but emphasized Lock’s turnovers.

These turnovers might have doomed Lock’s chances. He knows that he will have to make much better use of the opportunity presented to him if he is in the starting line-up again, regardless of the preparation time.

“If the opportunity comes again, be ready to play and play better than we did (Thursday).”

(Photo: Andrew Dieb / Imagn Images)