TAMPA, Fla. — From the very first day that Todd Bowles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took the sphere for coaching camp, few exterior the group gave them a lot of an opportunity this season.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield was on his fourth group in 19 months, making an attempt to fill the not too long ago retired Tom Brady’s huge sneakers. The roster lacked family names from the Bucs’ 2020 Tremendous Bowl season and as an alternative featured unproven kids in a few of these key spots. Oddsmakers predicted Bowles could possibly be among the many first NFL head coaches fired this season. The Bucs simply by no means had that championship really feel, at the very 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 group.
The Buccaneers merely shrugged off the dearth 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 sport in opposition to 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 trouble us,” linebacker Shaquil Barrett stated. “We all know our capabilities within the locker room, it doesn’t matter what is projected or what individuals would suppose goes to occur within the sport. We all the time are available considering we’ve acquired an ideal likelihood of profitable the sport. So, individuals 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 persona of their strongest leaders, and the Buccaneers are not any completely different. Gamers will readily admit they’re a mix of Bowles and Mayfield.
Bowles, the second-year head coach, is stoic and unflinching but in addition intensely aggressive. The previous defensive again is calculated but extremely aggressive. Mayfield, in the meantime, is so unapologetically himself. He’s brash at instances, all the time 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 in opposition to the surface noise, significantly 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 all the time knew we had been a greater group than we had been on the shedding streak that we had. … Now, the whole lot is beginning to click on and that’s why we stick with this system and belief the method and simply maintain doing what you’re alleged to do. We knew it was going to begin 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 sturdy 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 whole yards, together with 201 on the bottom, to the Eagles in that preliminary assembly. Mission completed. Monday evening, it was the Buccaneers who amassed 426 whole yards and 23 first downs, changing 6 of 14 third-down makes an attempt. They held the Eagles to 276 yards (solely 42 yards speeding) and 0-for-9 on third down.
Bowles and his protection delivered a signature efficiency whereas eliminating the specter of the Eagles’ speeding assault. They compelled quarterback Jalen Hurts to beat them with a short-staffed broad 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 package deal after one other. Hurts (sacked 3 times, together with a security) and his teammates and coaches by no means found out how you can modify.
ONCE AGAIN, HOW Y’ALL FEELING BUCS FANS?!
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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 feel it was the preparation. That performed a giant half and coming in right here with a profitable angle.”
Offensive gamers drew gasoline 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 throughout the week in hopes that the additional remedy 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 turned 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, when you checked out him throughout the week, he was limping round, he wouldn’t follow and he was getting a bit of higher every day. … He by no means flinched (Monday). He made play after play after play.”
He Baked.
— NFL (@NFL) January 16, 2024
Tight finish Cade Otton, who had a team-high eight catches for 89 yards, stated the Bucs as a group tackle Mayfield’s character.
“It’s simply watching his actions. The way in which he performs, the way in which he practices, the way in which he leads, it’s very real and he’s all the time simply competing,” Otton stated “He’s eager to win, however he additionally desires camaraderie with us. It’s only a nice individual to have because the chief of our group.”
“He’s a canine,” left sort out Tristan Wirfs stated. “He’s an excellent robust man and unbelievable competitor. He’s been doing the whole lot he can to be on the market with us. It’s simply superior to see.”
The Buccaneers listed Mayfield as questionable coming 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 arduous to get an opportunity to be within the playoffs and we simply needed a chance 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 so far?
(Photograph: Julio Aguilar / Getty Pictures)
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