Baker Mayfield led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a dominant victory on Sunday, turning Tommy DeVito’s homecoming into a forgettable afternoon for the New York Giants.
While DeVito struggled to find his rhythm in place of the departed Daniel Jones, Mayfield put on a clinic, completing 24 of 30 passes for 294 yards and adding a rushing touchdown to his impressive stat line.
The game’s most talked-about moment came when Mayfield celebrated his score by mimicking DeVito’s signature Italian finger pinch gesture, right in front of the Giants’ faithful.
When pressed about it afterward, Mayfield revealed his thoughts.
“Tribute to Tommy. He’s a good dude. He’s got swag,” he said, describing the celebration as “spontaneous.”
As reporters dug deeper, Mayfield clarified his intentions, suggesting it was more about entertaining the New York crowd than mockery.
“New York fans love Tommy here, giving them something they like,” he explained.
A reporter then asked if Mayfield was Italian:
“I haven’t done a ’23 and Me,’ I don’t know.”
Baker Mayfield was asked if he was Italian by a reporter when asked about the Tommy DeVito celebration:
“Are you Italian by chance?”
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 24, 2024
This victory couldn’t have come at a better time for Mayfield and the Buccaneers, who finally snapped their four-game skid to improve to 5-6.
Despite trailing the NFC South-leading Atlanta Falcons by two games and having lost both head-to-head matchups, Tampa Bay’s playoff hopes remain very much alive.
Looking ahead, the schedule seems to favor the Buccaneers. Apart from a challenging road contest against the Los Angeles Chargers, Tampa Bay appears well-positioned for their remaining games.
Their slate includes two matchups with the struggling Carolina Panthers, plus winnable games against the Las Vegas Raiders, New Orleans Saints, and Dallas Cowboys.
This favorable run could be exactly what Mayfield and company need to make a serious push for the division title.
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Baker Mayfield’s TD Celebration On Sunday Had Fans Talking
