Tailgaters reveled before the return of Tommy DeVito. Giants fans throughout the MetLife Stadium parking lots cooked chicken cutlets on portable grills. Some came decked out in DeVito jerseys. Others wore shirts reading “Tommy Cutlets.” One family even flew an Italian flag in a nod to DeVito’s — and their — Italian heritage. “We’re native New Jerseyans,” said Caroline Cantow, 27, from Mahwah, N.J. “We’ve been Giants fans forever. I think Tommy brings a real spark to the team. He’s from our area. We’re really happy to support him.” But the good vibes did not last long. The Giants regressed on offense in their first game since replacing Daniel Jones with DeVito at quarterback, failing to score until the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 30-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. DeVito completed 21-of-31 passes for 189 yards without a touchdown or turnover and added 32 rushing yards on seven carries, with the bulk of his production coming after the game was out of reach. He was sacked four times and repeatedly took big hits, including one in the fourth quarter that knocked the wind out of him, causing him to briefly leave the game. It was hardly the result the Giants desired when they made the switch to DeVito, whom head coach Brian Daboll had hoped would replicate the spark he provided last year when pressed into duty. “We didn’t do a good enough job today, all the way around,” Daboll said after the loss, which dropped the Giants to 2-9. “That starts with me.” Kevin Wallen (c.), pictured with his family, made chicken cutlets for Sunday’s tailgate before the Giants’ Week 12 matchup against the Buccaneers. (Photo by Peter Sblendorio/NY Daily News) DeVito, 26, received a loud ovation before his first snap, but those hopeful cheers quickly turned into frustrated boos as the offense stalled. The Giants totaled 19 yards and one first down through their first three drives, with Tampa Bay’s pass rush overwhelming DeVito and an offensive line that was down to its third-string left tackle, Chris Hubbard, after Jermaine Eluemunor left in the first quarter with a quadriceps injury. DeVito completed 3-of-5 passes for 31 yards in the first half, after which the Giants trailed, 23-0. Malik Nabers, the Giants’ electric rookie wide receiver and the early-season focal point of their offense, did not receive a target before halftime. “You always want to be that spark,” DeVito said afterward. “I take that heavy, being able to get more points going and get things going in the first half. I take that hard. I am going to go watch film to see what I could have done better on my part.” Caroline Cantow (r.) and her family at MetLife Stadium parking lot before the Giants’ Week 12 matchup against the Buccaneers. (Photo by Peter Sblendorio/NY Daily News) DeVito and the offense showed signs of life on the opening drive of the third quarter, when three completions to Nabers helped take the Giants to Tampa Bay’s five-yard line. But on 1st and goal — with DeVito lined up wide right — rookie running back Tyrone Tracy took a direct snap and lost a fumble. The Giants did not score until the 11:28 mark of the fourth quarter, when a 1-yard rushing touchdown by Devin Singletary cut into Tampa Bay’s 30-0 lead. There was plenty to celebrate, meanwhile, for Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, who punctuated a 10-yard rushing touchdown late in the second quarter by doing DeVito’s signature pinched-fingers hand gesture — a stunt he later described as a “tribute” to the Giants quarterback. The blowout loss capped a whirlwind week in which the Giants benched Jones, then agreed to release him after he was relegated to fourth-string duty during Wednesday’s practice. Jones’ contract included a $23 million injury guarantee for 2025 that would have triggered if he got hurt and was unable to pass a physical in March. The decision to pivot to DeVito came as a surprise, considering Drew Lock signed a one-year, $5 million contract to be the Giants’ backup and had operated as Jones’ No. 2 all season. DeVito emerged as an unlikely fan favorite last year, going 3-3 as an undrafted rookie in six starts after Jones suffered a season-ending ACL tear. Fans dubbed him “Tommy Cutlets” in a reference to his Italian roots and to a revelation he lived with his parents in Cedar Grove, N.J., and enjoyed his mother’s chicken cutlets. But on Sunday, DeVito could not get much cooking. The Giants entered the game averaging an NFL-worst 15.6 points per game but fell well short of that number against Tampa Bay. Daboll committed to DeVito as his starter for Thursday’s game in Dallas, saying, “If he’s healthy and ready to go, he will be.” So the second act of DeVito-mania continues — a saga that’s surprised even the fans wearing his No. 15 jersey. “I come to enough games that I thought maybe 20 years from now it would be a funny thing to wear to a game with my kids,” said Chris Sessa, 40, of the Upper East Side. “But I didn’t expect to get it out of the closet this year. That’s for sure.”