Drew Lock makes it sound like a carnival or a circus.
“It’s professional football,’’ he said Wednesday after practice. “You expect roller coasters here and there.’’
The rapid descents and hairpin turns and thrills and spills have left Lock and the Giants in the same place, closing out a dismal campaign needing each other to finish what has been a challenging slog.
In the pin-the-tail-on-the-quarterback contest this team has played this season, Lock is next up, again, as head coach Brian Daboll made the determination that Lock gets his second consecutive start when the Giants (2-10) on Sunday face the Saints at MetLife Stadium, trying to snap a seven-game losing streak.
The decision came down to Lock or Tommy DeVito for this start.
DeVito is still dealing with a sore right forearm and was limited in Wednesday’s practice.
That means Lock this week will get all the first-team reps — something he did not receive prior to making his first Giants start, a Thanksgiving 27-20 loss to the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.
It means Lock gets to put on display his high-wire act, which attracted the Giants enough to give him a one-year deal for $5 million to back up Daniel Jones and frightened the Giants enough for Daboll to first choose DeVito as the replacement when the move was finally made to bench Jones.
“It’s hard to describe but on the sideline watching a game, compared to being behind the center, two completely different deals,’’ Lock said. “It looks fast on the sideline, I think when you get out there and you know the plan, know what you’re doing, know your guys around you it does kinda, sorta slow down and become flashbacks to high school and college, all the reps you’ve accumulated over time and it does click back in. You get to be the guy you’ve always been and you want to be — the guy playing.’’
Lock in his first start for the Giants completed 21 of 32 passes for 178 yards and he cost his team points by tossing an interception for a pick-six when he threw a screen pass too flat for Devin Singletary, instead of lobbing it over the reach of the defender. He also lost a fumble for a second costly turnover.
Lock ran four times for 57 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown run.
“I’d say Drew did some good stuff in Dallas,’’ Daboll said. “He also did some things that he can improve on.’’
Some good stuff and equal or more bad stuff has been Lock’s calling card in the NFL.
He is 9-15 as a starter, going 4-1 as a rookie for the Broncos in 2019 and 4-9 in 2020. He has 28 career touchdown passes and 24 interceptions.
The Giants saw the good and bad in his first start for them.
“He made some good plays,’’ Daboll said. “He made some loose plays, plays with his feet, made some loose plays throwing the ball down the field when he was stepping up or getting pressured and then keeping his eyes down the field. Have to correct some of those turnovers.’’
This can be viewed as an audition for a 28-year-old who wants to continue to earn a living in the NFL, as his time with the Giants is likely to conclude as soon as this miserable season comes to an end.
Lock did not appreciate the term “audition’’ to describe this opportunity.
“My focus is on playing good football for this team and myself,’’ he said. “Trying to get us a win. If I go out there and do my job to the best of my ability I’ll make these guys proud and make myself proud and that’s my main goal every Sunday.’’
DeVito is still not 100 percent after he was knocked around in Week 12, as the Giants were thrashed, 30-7, by the Buccaneers.
He injured his right arm in that game, opening the door for Lock to start four days later against the Cowboys.
This is a big opportunity that DeVito is missing. If he is healed enough to be able to play this weekend, he will be the No. 2 quarterback behind Lock.
If not, Tim Boyle will be elevated from the practice squad to serve as the backup.
“I think he’s trending in the right direction,’’ Daboll said of DeVito.
