Giants legend wants to 'pump the brakes' on QB Tommy DeVito

New York Giants icon, CBS Sports NFL analyst and Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist Tiki Barber wants everybody to remain realistic about the future of Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito amid his rise as a rookie sensation. 

"Let’s pump the brakes on Tommy DeVito challenging and being a starting quarterback in the NFL," Barber said during Tuesday's edition of the WFAN "Evan and Tiki" program, per Ryan Chichester of Audacy. "I’m not saying he’s not great and this story right now isn’t fantastic, but it’s not like he threw for 350 yards and put it on his back." 

Barber spoke less than 24 hours after DeVito completed 17 of 21 pass attempts for 158 yards with one touchdown in Monday's 24-22 home win over the Green Bay Packers. The undrafted 25-year-old who also rushed for 71 yards on 10 carries versus Green Bay improved to 3-1 as a starter and has now guided the Giants to three straight victories. However, Barber didn't forget that DeVito failed to impress in the Week 10 49-17 loss at the Dallas Cowboys. 

DeVito connected on 14 of 27 passes for 86 yards with two scores and one pick against Dallas on Nov. 12. 

"He’s proven it for three weeks," Barber said about DeVito's unexpected run. "Three weeks. Against Dallas, he didn’t really prove it. He looked terrible against the Cowboys … he hasn’t made it yet." 

Like Barber, Hall of Famer Kurt Warner tried to silence talk about DeVito possibly becoming a long-term replacement for injured starter Daniel Jones. Warner noted that "anything short of a full season" isn't enough to fully evaluate such a young signal-caller, while Barber suggested that DeVito could come back down to earth as soon as the Christmas Day game at the Philadelphia Eagles (10-3). 

"I give him credit … but let me see it against the Eagles," Barber added about DeVito. "Let me see it against a team that’s better than [the Packers]." 

DeVito and company can't yet look ahead to the first of two showdowns with the Eagles across three weeks, as the Giants next play at the 6-7 New Orleans Saints this Sunday. Barber challenged DeVito on Tuesday to "do something profound" such as keep Big Blue in the playoff hunt through the morning of Dec. 25, but the New Jersey native already deserves praise for giving fans some positive memories from what seemed like a completely lost season when the Giants were 2-8.