Bucs Get Back on Track, Dominate Eagles 33-16

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers started with a bang on Sunday vs. the Philadelphia Eagles and they kept their foot on the gas right until the final whistle had blown.

Sep 29, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton (88) congratulates quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) after a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were looking to avoid losing two consecutive home games early in the 2024 season when the Philadelphia Eagles — a team they beat in last year’s NFC Wild Card Game — returned to Raymond James Stadium.

Both teams were without a number of key players coming into this one. Philadelphia was missing their two star receivers, A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith, as well as several important offensive linemen, including arguably the best RT in the league, Lane Johnson. The Buccaneers were without their All Pro safety, Antoine WInfield Jr., as well as DT Calijah Kancey, RT Luke Goedeke, and rookie wide receiver, Jalen McMillan, to name a few.

It was a scorching hot day in Tampa on Sunday, with temperatures getting as hot as 110 degrees with high humidity on the field at Raymond James Stadium. Tom Brady was back in town covering his first Bucs game as a broadcaster for FOX, and the fans in attendance were fired up in hopes of their team getting back in the win column. 

The Eagles won the opening coin toss, and opted to defer to the second half, giving Baker Mayfield and the Bucs’ offense the first crack at putting points on the board. 

Baker Mayfield wasted no time getting his favorite targets involved. Both Evans and Godwin caught multiple passes, with Rachaad White also delivering an impressive 22-yard catch and run, despite the ball being tipped at the line of scrimmage. Trey Palmer and Bucky Irving also got in on the fun, as a well balanced attack led by Mayfield allowed the team to generate an impressive 10 play, 79-yard drive that ended with a short touchdown completion to Mike Evans.

READ MORE: Mike Evans Makes Bucs History With Opening TD vs. Eagles

Buccaneers 7 Eagles 0

The opening TD drive for the Buccaneers snapped a 20-game streak without an opening drive TD, which was the worst streak in the NFL. 

Not only that, but the TD reception by Evans moved him past Martin Gramatica for the all-time leader in points scored for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It’s no small feat, as Evans joins Jerry Rice (SF) and Emmitt Smith (DAL) as the only position players in history to lead an NFL franchise in points scored. 

Todd Bowles’ defense seemed motivated by the team’s early success in offense, and did a great job getting in Jalen Hurts’ face to force incompletions on what was a quick 3 and out. 

Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers’ offense picked up right where they left off on their next drive. Mayfield was masterful spreading the ball around. First, he delivered a pass to Chris Godwin who narrowly avoided being tackled after catching the ball at the line of scrimmage to run for 28 yards after the catch. Next was a completion to Mike Evans who ran a smooth out route before making the catch near the sideline for 17 yards, advancing the ball into the red zone. Just two plays later, Baker delivered an absolute missile to Trey Palmer, who hauled it in despite good coverage from the defender. 

Mayfield was extremely dialed in early in this game, and after the TD strike to Palmer, he was already 12/13 for 138 yards and 2 passing TD’s, with roughly five minutes still remaining in the first quarter. 

Buccaneers 14 Eagles 0

The Bucs’ defense continued to hold up. And although Dallas Goedert dropped what should have been an easy reception for a big gain, the Bucs’ trench play was strong early on. Vita Vea and YaYa Diaby both collapsed the pocket quickly, and the play resulted in Vea delivering a massive sack on Jalen Hurts which resulted in a 10-yard loss for Philly, and ultimately forced them to punt for a second consecutive possession.

Strong run for Rachaad. Short completion to Otton. Huge sack by Brandon Graham, who was left completely unblocked, resulted in a loss of 11 yards on the play. It was a decision that prompted Tom Brady to say on the broadcast,  “maybe too cute of a call there by Liam Coen”. 

After a 42-yard punt by Trenton Gill (who was replacing Jake Camarda who was a healthy scratch due to his struggles so far this season) rookie DB, Cooper DeJean, muffed the punt, and the ball was recovered by Tampa Bay. Reserve linebacker, J.J. Russell, was the player who pounced on it, giving the Buccaneers another possession starting from deep in Philadelphia territory.

After three failed attempts from inside the 10-yard line, Todd Bowles opted to take another stab at it on 4th down. In what looked like a read option, Mayfield decided to keep the ball himself, and despite a lot of moving bodies around him, he managed to navigate his surroundings and cross the goal line for another Bucs’ touchdown. 

Buccaneers 21 Eagles 0

Another failed attempt to move the ball down the field by Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles offense resulted in yet another punt, and thus, another Bucs’ possession. 

Meanwhile, on a day that saw a collection of career milestones achieved by veteran players, Lavonte David recorded the1,500th tackle of his career, further cementing his status as one of the all-time greats in the history of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise.

Lavonte David records his first tackle of the day, marking tackle number 1,500 in his career. David and Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks are the only two players in franchise history to reach that milestone.

— Buccaneers Communications (@BuccaneersComms) September 29, 2024

The Bucs once again managed to move the ball with ease vs. Vic Fangio’s defense. They also got some new faces involved, as RB Sean Tucker and recently elevated veteran WR Sterling Shepard both made plays. On 3rd-and-Goal, rookie WR Kameron Johnson dropped what should have been an easy touchdown reception. The Bucs were still able to extend their lead though, as Chase McLaughlin got his first opportunity to put points on the board with a chip swot field goal. 

Buccaneers 24 Eagles 0

With a little more than five minutes remaining in the second quarter, the Eagles finally managed to make some progress on the following possession. Some strong runs by Saquon Barkley, and completions to Dallas Goedert allowed Philly to move the ball deep into Tampa Bay territory. The Buccaneers’ defense though, led by the ferocious play of Vita Vea, managed to stuff the Eagles on three consecutive plays from inside the 5-yard line. On 4th down however, Jalen Hurts hit Parris Campbell in the end zone for the Eagles’ first TD of the game.

Buccaneers 24 Eagles 7

With less than 2 minutes remaining in the first half, the Buccaneers wanted to remain aggressive. After dropping back to pass on each of their three plays, all three attempts fell incomplete. And with less than 30 seconds run off the clock, the Eagles got the ball back with 1:14 seconds remaining. Todd Bowles’ defense held strong though, and forced a quick 3-and-out. The Bucs did nothing on the ensuing possession and no damage was done on either side before the whistle blew to signal the end of the first half.

The Eagles took the ball to start the second half, and as many Bucs’ fans feared coming into this matchup, Saquon Barkley broke free for an explosive 59-yard run. From there, all it took was two consecutive ‘brotherly shoves’ for Philly to punch it into the end zone.

All of a sudden, the Eagles were right back in the game.

Buccaneers 24 Eagles 14

The Bucs following possession was one where they needed a strong response, and they got one. First, Mayfield scrambled for a 10-yard gain on 3rd down to move the chains. On the next 3rd-and-long, Mayfield calmly evaded pressure in the pocket while keeping his eyes downfield before hitting his most reliable target, Chris Godwin, for another first down conversion. From there on out, it was the Bucky Irving show. The rookie running back reeled off a couple strong runs, as well as a nice catch, before taking a pitch to the house for his first career TD.

However, in a very rare occurrence, Eagles' CB Isaiah Rodgers blocked the Bucs' extra point attempt. The ball was recovered by fellow CB, Kelee Ringo, who proceeded to outrun the Buccaneers' kicker as he took it the length of the field, resulting in an unorthodox 2-point play for the Eagles.

Buccaneers 30 Eagles 16

Saquon Barkley didn't waste any time creating another explosive play for his team when he took a short pass from Jalen Hurts for a gain of 27-yards. Bucs' corner, Jamel Dean, missed a key tackle on the play.

Just a couple of plays later, Lavonte David stripped Jalen Hurts when he dropped back to pass, and the ball was recovered by reserve defensive lineman, Ben Stille, to steal a possession for the Bucs. The strip sack was the 30th of Lavonte's career, tying him for the most among all active NFL players.

Lavonte David records a strip-sack of Jalen Hurts, marking his 30th career forced fumble. His 30 career forced fumbles is tied for the most among all active players.

— Buccaneers Communications (@BuccaneersComms) September 29, 2024

With the ball back in his hands, Mayfield hit his old college teammate from Oklahoma, Sterling Shepard, who was just brought in off the Bucs' practice squad earlier in the day. Shepard made a spectacular leaping catch to make the play near the sideline, which was good for a 30-yard gain. It wasn't the prettiest of drives, as penalties on both sides stalled any sort of momentum for either side. When it was all said and done, the Bucs' reliable kicker Chase McLaughlin booted a 52-yard field goal through the uprights to build on Tampa Bay's lead.

Buccaneers 33 Eagles 16

The following possessions saw both teams exchange punts, as the window for the Eagles' chances at a comeback continued to close as the final seconds drained off the clock at Raymond James Stadium.

FINAL SCORE: Buccaneers 33 Eagles 16

Following an embarrassing loss at the hands of the Denver Broncos a week ago, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers responded in the best way possible. Not only did they start the game with their first opening drive touchdown in 20 games, but they kept their foot on the gas. Baker Mayfield looked like the best version of himself, controlling the line of scrimmage with timely audibles, remaining poised in the pocket, and finding the open receiver with decisive throws to all areas of the field.

Eight different players had receptions on offense, with Cade Otton, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin all recording 6 or more catches. It was obvious that OC Liam Coen spent a lot of time in the film room leading up to this game, but if not for the execution of so many different players, most notably his quarterback, the success of his game plan would not have been realized.

On defense, it was some key veterans who really made their presence felt. Lavonte David played out of his mind all game, registering 8 total tackles, 2 sacks, and 1 forced fumble, while cementing his status as one of the all-time greats, as he achieved career milestones in both sacks and tackles. Vita Vea was a dominant force in the middle of Tampa Bay's defense. Todd Bowles was aggressive at the right times, and his team was able to sack a helpless Jalen Hurts 6 times — they had just 2 sacks through the first 3 weeks of the season — while confusing him with creative pressure and coverage looks.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers now sit at 3-1, as they will head to Atlanta on short rest to take on the Falcons on Thursday Night Football.

---

READ MORE: Bucs Wide Receiver Ruled Out With Concussion vs. Eagles

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2024 season.

Follow BucsGameday on Twitter and Facebook

More Tampa Bay Buccaneers News

• Keys To Cannon Fire: How the Bucs Can Beat the Eagles

• Bucs Owners Commit Massive Donation To Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts

• Todd Bowles Says Tom Brady Texted Him After Bucs' 2023 Playoff Win

• Bucs OC Acknowledges Lack of Balance in Run Game