Quarterback Baker Mayfield was on his fourth crew in 19 months, attempting to fill the lately retired Tom Brady’s large footwear. The roster lacked family names from the Bucs’ 2020 Tremendous Bowl season and as a substitute featured unproven kids in a few of these key spots. Oddsmakers predicted Bowles may very well be among the many first NFL head coaches fired this season. The Bucs simply by no means had that championship really feel, at the least to not outsiders.
So, it got here as no shock early final week when, regardless of having defied expectations by profitable the NFC South, Tampa Bay was pegged by Las Vegas as a house underdog for its NFC wild-card matchup with a sagging Philadelphia Eagles crew.
The Buccaneers merely shrugged off the shortage of respect, then attacked the Eagles with a vengeance Monday evening at Raymond James Stadium.
Driving an aggressive defensive efficiency and paced by a gutsy efficiency from Mayfield, the Buccaneers thumped Philadelphia 32-9 to advance to the divisional spherical of the playoffs. Tampa Bay will journey to Detroit for a Sunday afternoon recreation towards the Lions, who’re using excessive after beating the L.A. Rams for his or her first playoff victory in 32 years.
“The underdog function doesn’t hassle us,” linebacker Shaquil Barrett stated. “We all know our capabilities within the locker room, it doesn’t matter what is projected or what folks would suppose goes to occur within the recreation. We at all times are available considering we’ve acquired an ideal probability of profitable the sport. So, folks noticed us because the underdog tonight, and we all know they’ll see us because the underdog going into Detroit, however we all know we’ve acquired to maintain doing the identical stuff.”
GO DEEPER
Buccaneers end off reeling Eagles in NFC wild-card matchup
It’s usually stated that groups tackle the character of their strongest leaders, and the Buccaneers are not any totally different. Gamers will readily admit they’re a mix of Bowles and Mayfield.
Bowles, the second-year head coach, is stoic and unflinching but additionally intensely aggressive. The previous defensive again is calculated but extremely aggressive. Mayfield, in the meantime, is so unapologetically himself. He’s brash at occasions, at all times fiery as a competitor and performs with the toughness of a center linebacker.
Drawing inspiration from their coach and quarterback, the Buccaneers steeled themselves all season towards the surface noise, notably doing a four-game shedding streak that stretched from October to November, and morphed right into a 1-6 skid.
“We simply stayed the course,” Barrett stated. “We at all times knew we have been a greater crew than we have been on the shedding streak that we had. … Now, all the pieces is beginning to click on and that’s why we stick with this system and belief the method and simply preserve doing what you’re speculated to do. We knew it was going to start out working.”
The boldness grew throughout a four-game win streak and 5-1 run by the Bucs to shut out the common season whereas clinching the division. And the resolve remained simply as robust this week because the Buccaneers ready to avenge a 25-11 loss to the Eagles in Week 3.
The Buccaneers needed to show the tables after giving up 472 complete yards, together with 201 on the bottom, to the Eagles in that preliminary assembly. Mission achieved. Monday evening, it was the Buccaneers who amassed 426 complete yards and 23 first downs, changing 6 of 14 third-down makes an attempt. They held the Eagles to 276 yards (solely 42 yards dashing) and 0-for-9 on third down.
Bowles and his protection delivered a signature efficiency whereas eliminating the specter of the Eagles’ dashing assault. They pressured quarterback Jalen Hurts to beat them with a short-staffed large receiving unit whereas additionally nursing a painful and slowly therapeutic dislocated center finger on his throwing hand.
Turning the Eagles one-dimensional enabled Bowles to dial up one blitz-heavy bundle after one other. Hurts (sacked thrice, together with a security) and his teammates and coaches by no means discovered modify.
ONCE AGAIN, HOW Y’ALL FEELING BUCS FANS?! 😱
📺: #PHIvsTB on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/rFlj59UzNi pic.twitter.com/VtoFNKaLZ5— NFL (@NFL) January 16, 2024
Linebacker Devin White stated the Bucs protection entered the sport “with a dominant mindset. We needed to leap on them early and simply beat them. I believe it was the preparation. That performed a giant half and coming in right here with a profitable perspective.”
Offensive gamers drew gas from these defensive heroics, in addition to inspiration from Mayfield. The quarterback was so battered and bruised from rib and ankle accidents, he introduced in his private physiotherapist twice in the course of the week in hopes that the additional therapy would give him a shot at enjoying.
It labored. Mayfield handed for 337 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions whereas additionally scrambling for 16 yards on two carries. Mayfield grew to become solely the second Buccaneers quarterback — Brady is the opposite — to move for 300 yards or extra in a playoff contest.
“He gutted it out,” Bowles stated. “I imply, if you happen to checked out him in the course of the week, he was limping round, he wouldn’t follow and he was getting slightly higher every day. … He by no means flinched (Monday). He made play after play after play.”
He Baked. 👨🍳
📺: #PHIvsTB on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/rFlj59UzNi pic.twitter.com/GjDnqU2FLh— NFL (@NFL) January 16, 2024
Tight finish Cade Otton, who had a team-high eight catches for 89 yards, stated the Bucs as a crew tackle Mayfield’s character.
“It’s simply watching his actions. The best way he performs, the best way he practices, the best way he leads, it’s very real and he’s at all times simply competing,” Otton stated “He’s eager to win, however he additionally desires camaraderie with us. It’s only a nice particular person to have because the chief of our crew.”
“He’s a canine,” left sort out Tristan Wirfs stated. “He’s a brilliant robust man and unbelievable competitor. He’s been doing all the pieces he can to be on the market with us. It’s simply superior to see.”
The Buccaneers listed Mayfield as questionable getting into the sport, however the quarterback stated there was by no means an opportunity in his personal thoughts that he wouldn’t play Monday evening.
“We labored extraordinarily onerous to get an opportunity to be within the playoffs and we simply needed a possibility and our guys got here out and performed actually, very well,” stated Mayfield, whose three landing passes went for 44, 56 and 23 yards. “Particular groups, protection — as soon as once more … we’re completely satisfied, however nonetheless acquired extra to go.”
The redemption tour continues Sunday in Detroit, the place the Bucs will try to avenge a 20-6 Week 6 loss to the Lions. Detroit is an early 6 1/2-point favourite, however nobody in Tampa cares about that. Why would they, given the chances they’ve defied to date?
(Photograph: Julio Aguilar / Getty Photos)
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