Giants players talking playoffs amid Tommy DeVito rise

Some members of the NFL community understandably scoffed when star running back Saquon Barkley insisted ahead of this past weekend that the New York Giants weren't giving up on their playoff dreams. 

That was before undrafted rookie quarterback and New Jersey native Tommy DeVito guided the Giants to a come-from-behind 24-22 win over the Green Bay Packers to improve what was once a 2-8 club to 5-8 on Monday night.  

"We know we can make a run at the playoffs," rookie wide receiver Jalin Hyatt said about the Giants shortly after Monday's victory, as shared by Darryl Slater of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com.

The Giants enter Week 15 trailing five 6-7 teams in the battle for a single wild-card postseason berth. As of Tuesday afternoon, the ESPN Football Power Index gave the Giants a 0.4% chance to make the playoffs. New York plays at the 6-7 New Orleans Saints this coming Sunday before the NFC East side faces the Philadelphia Eagles (10-3) twice over the campaign's final three weeks. 

"We’ve just got to keep battling," Giants cornerback Adoree' Jackson said about embracing an "it's not over until it's over" mentality. "I would rather have that one [percent] than zero. You feel me? You never know what may happen. Never. You take it one game at a time, and good s--- happens." 

On Tuesday afternoon, oddschecker listed the Giants as 4.5-point underdogs versus the Saints. As much as some may want to mention tiebreaker scenarios and the fact that New York needs more than just victories to make the playoffs, players such as pass-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux seem to understand they must concentrate on handling what's directly in front of them. 

"I’ve never really been a numbers guy," Thibodeaux explained. "There was a 2% chance that I would make it to the NFL — and I’m here. Numbers aren’t always the answer. We’ve just got to keep believing." 

DeVito, who went from New York's practice squad to the top of the depth chart after Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor were sidelined with injuries, has teammates believing for reasons that go beyond his story and his family members who generate Internet content each time he plays. 

Across six games (four starts) this season, DeVito has completed 83-of-126 pass attempts (65.9%) for 855 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions. He also rushed for 154 yards and a score on 31 carries in those contests.