EAST RUTHERFORD – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Tommy DeVito threw for 191 yards and a touchdown and helped the New York Giants win consecutive games for the first time all season, this one a 10-7 squeaker over the visiting New England Patriots on Sunday in New Jersey.
DeVito completed 17 of 25 passes for the Giants (4-8), who have turned to him following injuries to Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor. He lost a fumble on the opening drive and was sacked six times Sunday.
The Giants benefited from continued quarterback chaos for New England (2-9). After Bill Belichick kept the Patriots’ starting QB decision under wraps during the week, Mac Jones tossed two interceptions in the first half and was replaced by Bailey Zappe after halftime.
Zappe guided the Patriots’ lone scoring drive, then drove them into field-goal range in the final 3:15 of the game. But rookie kicker Chad Ryland hooked a 35-yard field goal try wide left with three seconds left, allowing the Giants to hang on.
Jones went 12-for-21 passing for 89 yards for the Patriots, who have lost seven of eight games. Zappe went 9-for-14 for 54 yards and one pick.
Xavier McKinney totaled 10 tackles and one of the three interceptions for New York. Jalin Hyatt had five catches for 109 yards.
Jones threw into triple coverage in the final seconds of the first quarter and rookie Deonte Banks made a running interception on the sideline.
Late in the half, the Patriots drove into New York territory. DeVante Parker caught a slightly deflected pass for 17 yards on third-and-15 to keep the drive moving.
But on third-and-4 from the Giants’ 23-yard line, Jones threw a pass straight to Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke, who returned it 55 yards to the New England 26.
Six plays later, DeVito threw left to Isaiah Hodgins, who stiff-armed his defender to the ground and beat another Patriot to the pylon for a 12-yard score, making it 7-0 1:53 before halftime.
The Patriots had one last three-and-out in the first half before Zappe took over in the second. He went 6-for-6 for 38 yards on his first drive, and Stevenson got New England on the board with his 7-yard touchdown with 8:02 left in the quarter.
Zappe wasn’t perfect for long. Early in the fourth quarter, his pass intended for JuJu Smith-Schuster was snagged by McKinney and returned to the Patriots’ 32. That set up Randy Bullock’s go-ahead, 42-yard field goal with 8:10 remaining.
The Patriots got one more chance and drove 33 yards in nine plays to set up Ryland’s game-tying attempt.
–Field Level Media