Buccaneers Suffer Heartbreaking Loss to Detroit Lions in Close Game, 31-23

The Buccaneers couldn't overcome the Lions falling short in Detroit to end their season.

In what was a physical back-and-forth game until the end, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell to the Detroit Lions 31-23. The Bucs had no answer over the middle of the field and struggled to get pressure on Lions quarterback Jared Goff with four. When they did blitz, Goff usually carved up the Bucs' defense. With a chance to tie the game up at the end Baker Mayfield threw an untimely interception to end the game and the season for the Buccaneers. 

Mayfield finished the game with 349 yards passing and three touchdowns. But also had two interceptions including the one on the last drive to lose the game. Mike Evans led all receivers with 147 yards and a score. While Rachaad White totaled 55 yards on the ground and scored on a 12-yard catch. Cade Otton scored a touchdown and finished with 65 yards. 

After winning the coin toss, the Lions came out on offense first. The Bucs defense came up with a big stop. Rookie Calijah Kancey got his hand on a pass on third down forcing the three and out.

The Bucs and Baker Mayfield came out passing on their first play of the first drive. After a big 16-yard run by Rachaad White, Mayfield was sacked for a loss of eight yards and then picked off by Chauncey Gardner-Johnson on a ball that went off of Mike Evans' hands-on third and 17.

The Lions moved down the field quickly after the interception on the back of two huge penalties by the Bucs. But the defense stood strong in the red zone and came up with a huge third down stop to hold Detroit to just three points.

Lions 3 Bucs 0

Looking for redemption, Mayfield led the Bucs on an eight-play scoring drive. Big plays by Mike Evans and Trey Palmer on the series set up a 43-yard field goal attempt by kicker Chase McLaughlin. The Ball sailed through the uprights to tie up the game at three all.

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Bucs 3 Lions 3

Goff and the Lions answered right back with a scoring drive of their own. The Bucs came out in a zone look but couldn’t apply enough pressure to Goff and he picked them apart down the field. Big plays by LaPorta on the drive were capped off with a 9-yard touchdown by Josh Reynolds to retake the lead.

Lions 10 Bucs 3

The Bucs couldn’t get anything going on their next drive and ended in a three-and-out. After a booming 66-yard punt, the Lions offense moved the ball towards mid-field but came up short on a third and 10 and gave the Bucs the ball back with just over six minutes left in the second quarter.

The ball at their own 13-yard line, Mayfield hit Evans for a 22-yard gain to begin the drive. The Bucs drove into Detroit territory down to the 32-yard line, but after coming up short on third and five, head coach Todd Bowles elected to attempt a 50-yard field goal instead of going for it. McLaughlin’s attempt fell no good after bouncing off the uprights giving the Lions possession on the turnover on downs with just over two minutes left in the half.

With a chance to score before halftime, Kancey put an end to it on third down with a huge sack on Jared Goff to force a Lions punt with a minute and 28 seconds left and all three timeouts. Baker got baking on this drive with a huge 14-yard scramble for a first down on third and one. Back-to-back throws of 27 and 29 yards to Evans put the Bucs at the two-yard line and the offensive punched it in on a two-yard score by Cade Otton to tie it up at 10 right before the half.

Bucs 10 Lions 10

Receiving the ball after the half, the Bucs had the chance to take the lead. Mayfield led the offense into Lions territory, but a sack on third down knocked Tampa Bay out of field goal range and they were forced to punt. Backed up against their own goalline, the Lions weren't able to get anything going with the Buccaneers' defense forcing a three and out.

After a short punt, the Bucs started their next drive with great field position at their own 40-yard line. However, the Bucs weren’t able to get the drive started and couldn’t convert on a tough third and 14 to go three and out themselves.

The Lions took the ball right down the field on their next possession a huge 30-catch and run by backup tight end Brock Wright on third and one was the catalyst for the Lions' scoring drive. Going for it on fourth down from the one-yard line Craig Reynolds pounded it in on the ground to give the Lions the lead.

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Lions 17 Bucs 10

Mayfield and the Bucs answered right back with a score of their own. Otton was critical on the drive with catches of 9, 13, and 27 yards. Mayfield was phenomenal on the drive bouncing off of a near sack to deliver a strike to Otton to convert the first. Down at the 12-yard line, the Lions brought the blitz on third down and White made the play on the catch and run to tie the game back up at 17 to close out the third quarter.

Bucs 17 Lions 17

With a chance to take back the lead, the Lions did just that. The Bucs had no answer for Jahmyr Gibbs. The rookie running back totaled 57 yards on the drive on the ground and through the air but it was a 31-yard rushing touchdown that was the difference and Detroit retook the lead early in the fourth quarter.

Lions 24 Bucs 17

The Bucs needed to respond to the score but the Lions' pressure was just too much for the offense and Detroit’s defense forced a three-and-out. Jake Camarda had a booming punt of 58 yards to down the Lions at their own 10-yard line.

Goff and the offense shredded the Bucs in the middle of the field. After a Lavonte David sack set up third and 15, the defense allowed a conversion to Amon Ra St. Brown to pick up a first. The next play Gibbs took the ball on a catch and run for 20 yards and three plays later the Lions increased their lead with a touchdown to St. Brown.

Lions 31 Bucs 17

Desperate for a score with just over six minutes remaining, Mayfield and the Bucs offense marched down the field with big catches by Godwin and Evans. Including a 24-yard catch by Evans on fourth and 14 after a baker sack the down prior. In the end, it was Evans who found the endzone on a 16-yard touchdown to bring the Bucs within a score. Tampa Bay went for two on the play but the conversion failed on a shot to Evans with a questionable no-call on defensive pass interference. 

Lions 31 Bucs 23

Needing a stop when it mattered most the Bucs' defense came up with one aided by a huge tackle for loss by David. With just under two minutes remaining Mayfield and the offense had a chance to tie the game up. But a costly interception by Mayfield cost the Bucs the chance to move on and the Lions won 31-23.

Lions 31 Bucs 23

You can follow JC Allen on Twitter @JCAllenNFL.

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