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Keeping the starting quarterback job for the New York Giants gives Drew Lock a chance to shed a “negative” label about his playing style. Specifically, in relation to the veteran quarterback often being dubbed a “gunslinger.”
Lock explained what he thinks of the label to NorthJersey.com’s Art Stapleton. The former Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks passer explained, “The gunslinger (label) always comes with the pro and the con, the guy that’s gonna gout out there and be able to make every throw, but the negative side to that term is, you know, might put the ball at risk sometimes.”
Although he’s aware of how he’s perceived, Lock did acknowledge he wants to manage his overly aggressive tendencies with some more team-first caution. What he’s after is a balance between the two that will better help every phase of the Giants team.
As Lock explained, “You can be a gunslinger and take care of the football, and that’s the balance that I’ve been working towards since, you know, freshman year of college, right? Being able to balance both is huge. It’s huge for this team, it’s huge for the defense, you know, being able to keep them on the sideline, continuing drives. The longer we stay on the field, the more I get the ball in the guys hands, it’s better for this team.”
This was a mature and thoughtful response from a signal-caller under pressure to confound low expectations. Even the modest expectations of his own coaches.
Drew Lock Can Still Prove Giants Wrong
Lock has only got the QB1 job because third-stringer Tommy DeVito suffered injury against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12. Former undrafted free agent DeVito had initially been chosen over 2019 NFL draft second-round pick Lock to replace discarded Daniel Jones.
The Giants had appeared to make the decision based on financial concerns. Notably, the incentives based on playing time contained within Lock’s $5 million contract.
Yet, not everybody was convinced money was the only reason the Giants overlooked Lock. In particular, ‘X’ user BigBlueVCR felt Lock didn’t do enough when he was called into action after Jones was benched late on against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7: “IMO, when Dabs went to Lock in 4Q of that blowout vs Eagles to ‘create a spark.’ that was the evaluation of Lock for 2024. If Lock played well there, I bet Jones would have been benched. Lock was so bad that the coaches moved on from him (think Maddox in 1995) & turned to DeVito.”
Things have changed since and Lock has the job for now, but he’ll need to play better to keep hold of the reins. Playing better will mean more than just protecting the ball and reeling in some of his more gung-ho instincts.
Lock will also need superior protection from an offensive line ravaged against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving. As ESPN’s Jordan Raanan pointed out, “Drew Lock took 14 QB hits. He was sacked six times. No quarterback can be consistently successful under that type of pressure.”
It doesn’t matter if the quarterback is a gunslinger or game-manager if the line won’t hold up. The irony is the Giants are still being linked with passers who fit the gunslinger label in their search for a long-term replacement for Jones, Lock and DeVito.
Giants May Target Another Gunslinger
If the Giants take the free-agency route to fix their quarterback problems, Jameis Winston could be an option, despite his erratic performances. Winston, who’s starting for the Cleveland Browns this season, is the epitome of a boom-or-bust passer.
His gunslinger credentials were best summed up by a turnover-laden but monster stats night against the Broncos in Week 13. Raanan’s colleague Adam Scheffer aptly called it “The Jameis Winston Experience.”
Finding a franchise passer will be a balancing act for the Giants. Winston, and perhaps Lock by extension, may be too reckless to solve a long-standing problem for Big Blue.
Yet the Giants don’t want a quarterback who’s too cautious the way Jones often was in recent seasons. Neither Lock nor Winston would be a long-term solution, but the Giants need their future at football’s most important position to hinge on a prospect who combines elite arm strength and natural daring with smarts and composure.
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