The New York Giants debuted a new starting quarterback Sunday, turning the keys of their struggling offense to second-year backup Tommy DeVito. The change did little to help early on. Not only did DeVito start slow against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, falling behind 23-0 in the first half, but the replacement signal-caller also saw his signature celebration stolen by Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield scrambled and leapt over the goal line for the Bucs’ third touchdown of the day just before halftime, then immediately unleashed an emphatic pinched-finger celebration — the same kind of Italian-themed motion often deployed by DeVito during his 2023 rookie season.
DeVito’s celebration helped make him a Giants fan favorite when he first appeared in 2023, during which he also earned the nickname “Tommy Cutlets.” After going 3-3 as an injury replacement as a rookie, he was recently promoted to the starting gig in New York, replacing the demoted and released Daniel Jones.
DeVito went just 3 of 5 for 31 yards in Sunday’s first half against the Buccaneers. He did help New York reach the red zone early in the third quarter, only for the Giants to lose the football on a fumble.
Mayfield said postgame that it wasn’t a ”disrespectful thing.”
