Less than two weeks ago, Jake Fromm was preparing to be the Giants’ starting quarterback in Los Angeles in case Mike Glennon was unable to clear concussion protocol in time for the game.
Fromm did not get that chance, but on Sunday, with less than four minutes left and the giants facing a 15-point deficit against Dallas, he finally got to make his NFL debut, two seasons after being a fifth-round pick of Buffalo in the 2020 NFL Draft.
“Really fun to get out there; I checked the box, got to complete a childhood dream and got to play in an NFL game,” Fromm said after the game. “It was awesome, just the ability to go out there with the guys, move the ball a little bit, try to compete, and give us a chance to win there at the end.”
Fromm’s last meaningful snaps came in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day 2020, and he’s only had about three weeks to learn the Giants’ offense.
He still only knows a little more than half of the playbook, but he’s been a quick study so far.
“For me, it's just understanding a week-to-week game plan. Obviously, there's carryover, and there's stuff you take in and out,” Fromm said. “For me, it's just let's go learn a game plan. Let's go learn 100 to 200 plays a week and just go try to execute.”
He didn’t get as many reps in practice this week as he did last week, but noted that he continued to stay mentally ready – and with the Giants down and Mike Glennon once again ineffective (13-of-24 for 99 yards and three interceptions), head coach Joe Judge decided to get a look at what he had in Fromm.
“We got to a point in the game where I wanted to see what Jake could do, point blank. We weren't doing enough moving the ball otherwise, so I wanted to make sure I had the chance to see Jake,” Judge said. “I thought we had some opportunities with Mike in there moving the ball. There were some shots we had, but we thought it was time to go ahead and give Jake an opportunity to get in there and play. He got in there and moved the ball well, did some good things.”
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Judge admitted the Giants discussed putting Fromm in the game a drive earlier, prior to Mike Glennon’s third interception, but decided to see if Glennon could capitalize on a short field after a turnover.
“I thought we would give Mike one more drive and see what he can do right there,” Judge said. “After that, I said let's go ahead and get Jake in there.”
“I was just trying to stay prepared throughout the whole game. I didn't know if I was going in at any particular time. I was just trying to stay ready,” Fromm added. “They told me there late in the fourth quarter, 'Hey, you're up.' I was just trying to get ready and try to make something happen.”
Fromm did indeed impress, coming in an running basically a two-minute drill that saw him complete his first four passes and end up 6-for-12 for 82 yards, an opportunity that gave Fromm and the Giants a chance to slim down the play calls a little bit and stick with what he was comfortable with.
“It's a lot of highlighting plays you feel good with and a lot of crossing out stuff that doesn't really make any sense,” Fromm said. “We had our package, and just it was a good opportunity for us to try and execute the play we had in front of us. I thought the guys did a good job making plays, staying in it, and just really trying to give us a chance there late in the game.”
The highlight? A 36-yard pass to Kenny Golladay that put the G-Men in business in Dallas’ red zone.
“The play is called, you get a certain look, and you say, 'Hey, let's go give our guy a chance’,” Fromm said. “Kenny did a great job of going up and making a play. That's what you got to do, you got to give playmakers the ball.”
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The Giants turned the ball over on downs, unable to punch it in, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying from Fromm – or a lack of understanding the gravity of the situation.
“When you get close like that, obviously you want to punch it in and definitely get six, especially in that situation we were in. I was just trying to get shots at the end zone and give us enough time for us to get a drive there after that,” he said. “There's always some plays you want back.
Obviously, I just wish we would have executed there, got into the end zone, and got six.”
Now, after seeing Glennon struggle again and Fromm impress in limited duty, the question all week will be whether or not, assuming Daniel Jones isn’t cleared, Fromm’s dream season continues with his first NFL start next Sunday in Philadelphia.
“That will obviously open up a conversation about what we're going to do this week against Philly. We'll talk about it as a staff and we'll make the best decision for the team,” Judge said.
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