Giants QB Jake Fromm Struggles in Starting Debut
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The New York Giants list two quarterbacks on their 53-man roster. Still, after a dismal showing against the Philadelphia Eagles, Jake Fromm and Mike Glennon combined for 23 of 44 for 118 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions, in a 34-10 loss Eagles, they might as well have none.
Yes, it’s gotten that ad for the Giants, who were officially eliminated from the postseason Sunday with their loss and whose starter, Daniel Jones, is on injured reserve for the rest of the year with a neck injury.
The Giants, who last started three different quarterbacks in a season 29 years ago, had hoped to get something of a spark from Fromm, the young quarterback they claim they liked enough to poach off the Buffalo Bills practice squad a month ago.
Instead, what they got is pretty much what they should have expected all along. A young quarterback who, behind a leaky offensive line and whose running game failed to take some of the heat off of him, wasn’t ready for his moment in the sun.
“Obviously we didn’t do anything good enough on offense,” head coach Joe Judge said when asked about Fromm, who was pulled from the game in the third quarter for Mike Glennon. “I thought there were some opportunities that we did have in the first half and early in the second half, so I had to get something in there going to give ourselves a chance to make some plays that I thought were out there to make.”
Fromm, whom teammates and coaches have said has been the very definition of cool given his circumstances, though he was ready to roll.
“Yeah, I was ready to go,” said Fromm, who finished 6 of 17 for 25 yards, one interception, and a 19.4 passer rating.
“Obviously I wish the ball would have been exactly where I wanted it to be, but I was amped up and ready to go. I guess maybe the first couple got away from me.”
Given the circumstances and the supporting cast behind his first NFL start, it's probably not fair to label Fromm a bust. Still, it’s certainly fair to say that the youngster didn’t exactly inspire confidence that he might one day be able to challenge Jones or any quarterback, for that matter, for a starting job.
Besides some surprising accuracy issues—last week during garbage time, he seemed more on target with his passes despite clearly showing a lack of ideal arm strength to play in this league, Fromm’s poor footwork was also on display as he struggled to step into his throws given the offensive line’s inability to keep the pocket clean.
“I would say it’s not ideal,” Fromm said when asked how he thought he did. “I wish I would have played better. It’s not the way I wanted to have represented myself, my family, or, of course, this organization. It’s tough, but I’m going to learn from it. I don’t think it gets much worse than that. I’m going to grind. I’m going to work my tail off to get better and play better like I know I can. I’m going to give everything I can to the guys on offense, to this team, and be the best me I can be from here on out.”
After he tossed an interception, the Giants coaching staff pulled Fromm in the third quarter.
“That’s just frustrating for myself,” Fromm said when he got the news from quarterbacks coach Jerry Schuplinski. “I wish nobody – any of the coaches – would have been put in that situation. I wish I would have gone out and handled my business, led us to victory, and we’d be having a nice ride home.”
Despite his rough outing, Fromm said he’s intent on focusing on polishing his game and getting better.
“The goal I had in mind was to start fast,” Fromm said. “We didn’t do that, and I have to get better at doing that whenever the opportunity rises – seizing the opportunity and starting fresh.”
Judge, who declined to reveal who would start at quarterback next week when the Giants visit the Bears, shared some of his message that he gave to Fromm.
“You’re a young player and you have to learn and develop. This is the early part of your career, so you have to learn from what happened today and you have to make improvements,” he said.
“You have to make improvements on execution and obviously your decision-making will improve over time. But he has to come back to work on Wednesday just like everyone else.”
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