Leadership means taking responsibility, something Tyrod Taylor did for the botched two-point conversion attempt that condemned the New York Giants to a 26-25 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 17.
Taylor couldn’t connect with running back Saquon Barkley after Gunner Olszewski’s 94-yard punt return had closed the gap to just a single point. The Rams were offside on the initial extra point attempt, so Giants’ head coach Brian Daboll sent in a two-point play for Taylor and Barkley.
Unfortunately, the quarterback’s composure and decision-making process let him down. He explained he was “indecisive because he was in between running and throwing,” per Dan Duggan of The Athletic.
This wasn’t the only costly gaffe involving Taylor and Barkley during the crucial, late stages of the game on New Year’s Eve.
Tyrod Taylor explained the errant two-point pass as a result of being indecisive because he was in between running and throwing.
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) December 31, 2023
Key Mistakes Blighted Tyrod Taylor’s Performance vs. Rams
Taylor and Barkley were also involved in a play Daboll wishes the Giants hadn’t called on the final drive. Taylor’s 31-yard scramble to the Rams’ 34-yard line put the Giants on the doorstep of field-goal range, before the QB spiked the ball to stop the clock with 43 seconds left.
The next play saw Taylor line up in shotgun then hand to Barkley on a draw the Rams saw coming from L.A. Predictably, middle linebacker Ernest Jones dropped Barkley for a two-yard loss.
Taylor revealed “the Rams ran a stunt that blew it up,” while Daboll admitted, ‘I’d like to have it back,’” per Duggan.
Tyrod Taylor said they believed they could pick up yards on the second-down draw play on the final drive, but the Rams ran a stunt that blew it up. All Daboll would say about the play was, "I'd like to have it back."
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) December 31, 2023
The negative play left 39-year-old Mason Crosby needing to split the uprights from an imposing 54 yards. His kick went wide left.
Missed opportunities like these blighted what was an otherwise productive day for Taylor, but he played well enough to justify Daboll’s decision to bench popular starter Tommy DeVito.
Tyrod Taylor Justified Giants Benching Tommy DeVito
Taylor generally acquitted himself well against a tough Rams’ defense. He was sacked six times, but the veteran rebounded to complete 27 passes for 319 yards and this 80-yard touchdown to Darius Slayton.
Tyrod Taylor heeeeaved it, and Darius Slayton was there to bring it in for the score pic.twitter.com/XgBGEMzTUu
— NFL UK (@NFLUK) December 31, 2023
This kind of deep shot is what Taylor brings to a pedestrian passing game. Before the game, he’d averaged more yards per attempt (6.8) and yards per completion (11.0) than any quarterback on the roster, per Pro Football Reference.
Taylor’s arm strength was underlined by the pass to Slayton traveling 55 air yards, “the most air yards on any touchdown pass this season,” according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, citing ESPN Stats & Info.
The Giants don’t want to be a small-ball offense on Daboll’s watch, so the priority should be installing a prolific deep passer as QB1 next season. Taylor is no long-term answer, despite his mechanics, but primary starter Daniel Jones hasn’t matched his arm strength when healthy.
The 80-yard touchdown pass from Tyrod Taylor to Darius Slayton traveled 55 air yards, per @ESPNStatsInfo. That is the most air yards on any touchdown pass this season. #Giants
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) December 31, 2023
Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen own the fifth pick in the 2024 NFL draft after this defeat, per Tankathon, so they’ll be within range of a top passer in this class. Alternatively, the Giants could make a splash in free agency by replacing Jones with a rocket-armed proven commodity like Russell Wilson.
Whichever option they take, the Giants must find a catalyst for a passing attack better equipped to stretch the field in 2024.
