The first time around, for a while, provided a delightful diversion from a season that was careening into a cliff.
The Tommy DeVito Experience arrived in 2023 with memes and hand gestures and Italian trappings and a fun nickname: Tommy Cutlets, based on that breaded and delicious item that DeVito’s mother made for him (because of course he still lived at home).
That was then, and DeVito did enough as an actual quarterback to warrant a job in 2024.
This time around, DeVito: The Sequel, has a different feel to it.
Sure, the interest level from fans choosing to attend Sunday’s game with the Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium should be amped up a bit now that the former Don Bosco Prep star, from Cedar Grove, N.J., is back as the Giants starting quarterback, a happenstance only slightly more improbable now than it was the first time.
The news of this ascension came with head coach Brian Daboll on Monday making it official that Daniel Jones has been benched and DeVito, and not backup quarterback Drew Lock, is the replacement.
“After evaluating a bunch of things and looking at a lot of tape and being around Tommy last year where he created a little bit of a spark for us, that’s the reason why we’re going with Tommy,’’ Daboll said.
It is more about completions than cutlets in this starting iteration for the 26-year old DeVito. This is a chance of a lifetime.
He gets seven games to prove to the Giants that they should bring him back — he will be an exclusive rights free agent, meaning he is under contract in 2025 if the Giants want him — and also seven games to convince anyone else out there that he belongs in the NFL, should the Giants cut him loose.
DeVito in 2023 was a fun ride, although not quite Jeremy Lin in scope. It was a delightful Cinderella in cleats tale that for a time distracted everyone from the misery that appeared on the field each weekend.
Jones was out with a neck injury in Week 8 and Tyrod Taylor was forced out with a ribs injury when DeVito took over in the second half of a 13-10 loss to the Jets, with Daboll calling for running plays, not trusting DeVito to put the ball in the air.
The next week, Jones returned to face the Raiders in Las Vegas, but went down for the season with a torn ACL. DeVito finished out that game, a 30-6 loss, then started the next six games.
Lo and behold, the undrafted rookie showed some moxie.
After a rough starting debut in Dallas, the Giants with DeVito rolled to three consecutive victories, beating the Commanders, Patriots and Packers.
DeVito tossed five touchdown passes and no interceptions in that stretch, compiling passer ratings of 137.7, 103.9 and 113.9.
Daboll kept things close to the vest and DeVito mostly stayed out of trouble on the field.
DeVito’s last two starts were losses to the Saints and Eagles before Taylor returned for the final two games.
DeVito in his first NFL season completed 64 percent of his passes, with eight touchdowns and three interceptions for a passer rating of 89.2.
“The spark that Tommy gave, not just the offense but the team last year, I think is important,’’ Daboll said. “Tommy has his strengths that we like to try to utilize. We’ll try to put the game plan together that’s best for our football team but also is conducive for him to go out there and play well.’’
Daboll said DeVito “has good fundamentals and he’s got a good, quick release.’’ Daboll also appreciates the swagger DeVito brings to the locker room and the field.
“He’s played almost 700 snaps for us, preseason and regular season included,’’ Daboll said. “So, experience helps. We’ll do everything we can to get him ready.’’
This is no longer about social media posts showing DeVito’s pinched-fingers celebration gesture or his appearances in Sopranos or Goodfellas memes.
It is DeVito’s offense from now to Thanksgiving and Christmas and into New Year’s Day.