East Rutherford, N.J. - Like most backup quarterbacks, New York Giants quarterback Tim Boyle knew he had to stay ready for anything just in case.
But staying ready and being ready are two very different things, especially if you’re not getting reps with the receivers you’ll be throwing to during the week in practice.
Thus was Boyle’s challenge when his number was called after starter Tommy DeVito was knocked out of the Giants’ 35-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens just before halftime thanks to a concussion.
“It’s been all hands on deck just from understanding the personnel and guys and trying to earn their respect so I could step into a position like this and command the group,” Boyle said after the game. “It was fun to get out there and play football again.”
Boyle has been on a crash course to learn the Giants playbook and revealed that he knows “99 percent of the offense” at this point.
“I kind of want to learn everything as fast as possible. It’s not one of those things I want to baby myself through. I want to be able to present myself in a game, look at Dabs (Head Coach Brian Daboll), and say, ‘Hey, call whatever you want. I’ll go run it and run it well.’”
Boyle attributes that to having played in multiple systems throughout his career.
“What I've learned is it's just football at the end of the day. It's all the same stuff. It's different terminology, but conceptually, it's a lot of the same stuff,” he said.
“So, me learning this offense is just understanding names of things and how we get lined up and what we call this route. But I've been around most of these concepts before. So, the actual spacing and the feeling of it from a defensive standpoint and a scheme standpoint, I don't feel like it's too big for me.”
While the quarterback’s final numbers don’t scream “elite”--he finished 12-of-24 for 123 yards, one touchdown, and one interception while also taking one sack–Boyle, at times, threw with anticipation, something that one has been hard-pressed to find from a Giants quarterback this season.
Boyle also accounted for five of the Giants’ ten longest plays from scrimmage, including a 25-yard pass to receiver Wan’Dale Robinson and a 23-yard touchdown to Malik Nabers.
“What you saw today was my first time playing with those guys,” Boyle said. “So, definitely a cool learning experience. Feeling the speed, the o-line, I think they really did a good job today.
“The Ravens presented a lot of tough looks, especially on third down. I think our guys up front handled it well. So, kudos to our guys up front.”
Boyle seemed to form an instant on-field connection with Nabers, who caught five of six passes for 53 yards and the touchdown from him.
“I think when everything’s equal, number one (Malik Nabers) is pretty special,” Boyle said. “So, always in the back of your mind, as a quarterback at the Giants, you kind of always know where number one is if things go a wire; it’s kind of one of those (where you) feel pretty good about your matchup on a 50/50 ball.”
But for Boyle, who could find himself as the starter next week against the Atlanta Falcons if DeVito doesn’t clear the protocol and if Drew Lock, who was inactive due to heel and elbow issues, he’s taking everything in stride, one day at a time to keep from feeling overwhelmed.
“It's always a challenge. I have a pretty good routine now of what's my priority to learn in a new offense, but grateful that our Assistant Quarterback Coach, Christian Jones, has been incredible, helping me out, staying late with me, going through walkthroughs, just making sure I'm dialed in on the details,” he said.
