Baker Mayfield has carved out a special place for himself with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The quarterback has proved his talent after years of underperforming.
However, against the New York Giants, he let his hands talk literally and figuratively. After the QB hurdled for a touchdown, he began trolling Tommy DeVito during the celebration.
Baker Mayfield Trolls Tommy Devito With the Italian Gesture
Last year, DeVito burst onto the scene with the Giants. The 26-year-old highlighted his pride in his Italian ancestry and made his Italian hand gesture during a TD celebration. However, on Sunday, the tables were turned.
While DeVito was on the sidelines, it was Mayfield who made that gesture in the dying seconds of the second quarter after he got a TD. The NFL’s official X (formerly Twitter) account got on the fun as well after tweeting the clip of Mayfield’s celebratory gesture in New Jersey.
BAKER 😭🤌 pic.twitter.com/fHuu8bnWMF
— NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2024
Fans couldn’t believe their eyes as Mayfield’s clip went viral. Several fans were in awe of Mayfield’s commitment to rivalry. “Disrespect on 10,” responded one fan.
“That’s diabolical,” one fan tweeted.
That’s diabolical 😭
— hmm (@SadDin0saur) November 24, 2024
“You gotta love Baker’s passion!” another fan added.
“This is wild,” one fan replied.
This is wild
— Stretch (@StretchDontMiss) November 24, 2024
“Baker hilarious for this,” responded a fan.
“Like this is – brutal. Great! I kinda respect and love it. But brutal,” tweeted another fan.
Like this is – brutal.
Great! I kinda respect and love it.
But brutal. https://t.co/RVqvgmh4Vp
— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) November 24, 2024
The Buccaneers secured a commanding 30-7 victory over the New York Giants in Week 12, improving their record to 5-6 and keeping their playoff hopes alive. Besides his fun celebration, Mayfield delivered an impressive performance, completing 24 of 30 passes for 294 yards while adding a rushing touchdown.
According to Pro Football Network’s Quarterback+ metric, through the 1 p.m. window, Mayfield had the best performance of all QBs with a B+. He was above names like Patrick Mahomes and Sam Darnold.
Running back Bucky Irving provided strong support with 87 rushing yards and a touchdown, giving the Buccaneers a balanced offensive attack. The Buccaneers’ defense was relentless, holding the Giants to just 245 total yards and forcing multiple turnovers.
Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito, making his first start since the release of Daniel Jones, struggled to generate momentum, completing 21 of 32 passes for 189 yards. Tampa Bay’s defensive dominance stifled the Giants’ efforts and extended New York’s losing streak to six games.
This win solidifies Tampa Bay’s position as a contender in the NFC playoff race, while the Giants, now 2-9, face increasing pressure to make significant changes amid a disappointing season. The Buccaneers’ strong showing on both sides of the ball highlighted their potential for a late-season surge.
Mayfield Has Changed the Locker Room With His Arrival
Mayfield had the big shoes of Tom Brady to fill upon his arrival in Tampa. However, not only has he resurrected his career with the Bucs, he has changed the approach and mindset within the locker room as well.
“The building was a little bit different with Tom in there,” said Mayfield on the Casa de Klub podcast a month ago. “Obviously, playing-wise, Tom is different. He had everybody dialed in…so I think everybody was pretty stressed out.”
The 29-year-old highlighted that with him joining the team, his job was to get rid of the stress. “They wanted me to come in, be myself, bring the joy back to football, for guys who weren’t having as much fun,” he added.