The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by Baker Mayfield, were just looking for a chance to make a big splash in the postseason.
One was supplied by a good conclusion to the regular season. They'll have another after their thrilling 32-9 wild-card playoff victory on Monday night over Jalen Hurts and the reigning NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles.
In front of 63,397 fans at Raymond James Stadium, Mayfield passed for 337 yards and three touchdowns, and Tampa Bay's defence never let Hurts and Philadelphia's faltering offence establish a rhythm.
The Bucs (10-8) triumphed for the sixth time in seven games to move on to the NFC divisional round, where they will take on the Detroit Lions (13-5), a team that, like the Eagles, stopped Mayfield in the regular season. The game will be played on the road next Sunday.
“We worked extremely hard to get a chance to be in the playoffs and we just wanted an opportunity. Our guys came out and played well. ... Once again, the defense played lights out. We’re happy, but we’ve still got more to go,” Mayfield said.
“We were underdogs, we’re going to be underdogs next week, too," coach Todd Bowles added. "We understand that. We embrace it. We like it.”
In the first quarter, David Moore scored on a 44-yard reception. With a 56-yard catch-and-run touchdown to put the Bucs ahead 25-9 late in the third quarter, rookie Trey Palmer opened up the game. Both receivers took advantage of a leaky, poor-tackling Eagles secondary to find their way to the end zone.
Playing for his fourth team in less than two years, Mayfield, the 2018 No. 1 overall draft pick, completed 22 of 36 passes without giving up an interception. His first postseason game since 2020 was concluded with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Chris Godwin.
“We were a little out of sync. That starts with me," Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. "I wasn’t good enough. I didn’t put them in good enough positions.”
Mayfield claimed that the Bucs' offense's communication during the week contributed to the relaxed atmosphere during the game.
“Everybody was on the same page, knowing what we were going to do offensively, schematically,” Mayfield said. "Came out and attacked. Got to make a few more plays overall on offense, but we made more than enough to win tonight.”
Philadelphia (11-7) had a sad season finale after losing to Kansas City in the previous year's Super Bowl and playing a lot of this season like a team motivated and driven to return to the championship game.
Leading receiver A.J. Brown was not available for the Eagles due to a knee injury sustained during the regular-season finale. Hurts, who had dislocated his middle finger on his throwing hand the week before, had begun and went 25 of 35 for 250 yards and one touchdown until backup Marcus Mariota took over in the closing minute.
“The reality is we have to be better, and it starts with me,” Hurts said.
The Bucs, who were defeated by the Lions 20-6 in Week 6, bounced back from a six-game losing streak to go 5-1 during the final six weeks of the regular season, winning the NFC South for the third time in a row and earning a record-tying fourth straight postseason spot.
following a spectacular about-face that saw them go 1-5 in the latter stages of the season following a 10-1 start to the season, which featured a commanding 14-point victory against Tampa Bay in Week 3, the Eagles headed into Monday night's game seeking for a cure.
“The well ran dry a little the last six weeks," Eagles tackle Lane Johnson said.
In the first encounter, Philadelphia ran 78 plays compared to Tampa Bay's 44, outgaining the Bucs 472 yards to 174. The Eagles' secondary is porous and has awful tackling, so Mayfield's early start has allowed the Bucs to gain 178 yards in the first quarter alone on Monday night.
With field goals of 28, 54, and 48 yards, Chase McLaughlin gave Tampa Bay a 16-3 advantage late in the second quarter. Hurts used a 55-yard pass to DeVonta Smith to set up a 5-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Goedert, helping the Eagles reduce their lead.
Still, the score was 16-9. Sirianni successfully converted Jake Elliott's kickoff after the Bucs were called for offsides. Hurts was stopped by Tampa Bay for no gain as the Eagles prepared to go for two points from the one-yard line.
Smith finished with 148 yards and eight receptions for the Eagles.
Up Next:
The Buccaneers will play the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in the divisional round. NBC will broadcast that game on Sunday at 3 p.m. EST. The Lions are going to be the clear favourites.
After the Eagles' season concluded, it appears like big changes may be in store. They need to drastically improve their defence at the absolute least, and there may be numerous coaching staff changes.