Tag: Buccaneers

Jan 7, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) avoids the tackle by Carolina Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu (49) during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Bucs’ Baker Mayfield questionable for playoff game, Eagles QB Jalen Hurts fine

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield was listed Saturday as questionable for Monday night’s NFC wild-card game against the visiting Philadelphia Eagles.

Mayfield is dealing with ankle and rib injuries. He was a limited practice participant for the second straight day after missing Thursday’s session.

“He’s feeling good, he’s ready to go,” Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles said.

Mayfield injured the ribs during a 23-13 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Dec. 31. He injured the ankle last Sunday when the Buccaneers blanked the Carolina Panthers 9-0.

Mayfield set career highs by passing for 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns while leading the Buccaneers to a 9-8 record. He also threw 10 interceptions.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is dealing with a dislocated right middle finger but is all set to play. Hurts injured the finger on his throwing hand during last Sunday’s 27-10 loss to the New York Giants.

Hurts was a full practice participant the past two days after being questionable on Thursday.

“He’s fighting through the finger injury, but he had a good practice (Friday), so excited for him and this opportunity. Really excited,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “The energy and the juice in this building today of being here in the playoffs again, we’re really excited. We can’t wait.”

Hurts passed for career highs of 3,858 yards, 23 touchdowns and 15 interceptions this season. He also rushed for a career-high 15 scores.

As expected, receiver A.J. Brown (knee) and safety Sydney Brown (knee) were listed as out for the Eagles. Safety Reed Blankenship (groin) is questionable.

Linebacker K.J. Britt (calf) and defensive back Josh Hayes (quadriceps, knee) also are questionable for Tampa Bay. Defensive tackle Mike Greene was rules out.

–Field Level Media

Jan 7, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) reacts after an injury against the New York Giants during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Eagles WR A.J. Brown ruled out with knee injury

Posted on | by Field Level Media

No. 1 receiver A.J. Brown is a no-go for the Eagles in their wild-card playoff game at Tampa Bay on Monday, according to multiple reports.

Brown caught 106 passes for 1,456 yards and seven touchdowns this season but left the Week 18 loss to the Giants with a right knee injury and didn’t practice all week.

ESPN reported Brown could be available for the divisional playoffs if the Eagles advance to play the top seed in the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers, next weekend.

DeVonta Smith, who had 81 receptions for 1,066 yards and seven TDs in the regular season, will fill the role of Jalen Hurts’ top target against the Buccaneers.

Brown had nine receptions for 131 yards in the Eagles’ Week 3 win at Tampa Bay.

Last week, Brown caught a pass near the right hashmarks and was tackled by Giants linebacker Micah McFadden. Brown fumbled the ball and grabbed the back of his knee and calf before rolling to his back with both hands gripping his facemask.

–Field Level Media

Jan 7, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) makes a throw against Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown (95) during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Bucs, Eagles take different paths to playoff matchup

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won five of their last six games and the Philadelphia Eagles lost five of their last six.

They took opposite paths to the playoffs but share one outlook: All that matters now is what happens Monday night when they wrap up the NFL’s wild-card round in Tampa, Fla.

“We need all players, coaches, all staff, all hands on deck, leaving everything they’ve got in this locker room because everybody’s 0-0 going into this week,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said.

After a 10-1 start, Philadelphia ended the regular season Sunday with a listless 27-10 loss to the New York Giants that included injuries to quarterback Jalen Hurts (finger) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (knee).

After a 3-5 start, Tampa Bay clinched the NFC South on Sunday with three field goals by Chase McLaughlin in a 9-0 defeat of the league-worst Carolina Panthers.

Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles doesn’t care whether his Buccaneers (9-8) score nine points or 99 against the Eagles.

“As long as we have one more point than they have, that’s what we are looking for right now,” Bowles said. “We want to have consistency all the way around, but the object is to win the game by any means necessary.”

In Week 3, Philadelphia beat host Tampa Bay 25-11. Hurts accounted for two touchdowns, D’Andre Swift rushed for 130 yards and Brown caught nine passes for 131 yards to lead the Eagles.

The Bucs trailed 25-3 before scoring on Baker Mayfield’s 1-yard pass to Mike Evans with 9:22 left. Philly finished with massive edges in yards (472-174), first downs (27-12) and time of possession (38:55 to 21:05).

“It doesn’t compare because we played (the Eagles) so early in the year,” Bowles said. “We were still growing, (and) I’m sure they were still growing. You know, playoff time is different, it’s one and done, everybody is nicked up and everybody is hurt. It’s just a matter of who makes the most mistakes.”

Mistakes, missed tackles and missed opportunities fueled Philadelphia’s late-season collapse. The Eagles (11-6) turned the ball over 12 times, allowed 136.7 rushing yards per game and converted only 49 percent (38 of 77) of their chances on third down over the last six games.

Only the Arizona Cardinals (26.8) and Washington Commanders (30.5) surrendered more points per game than the Eagles (25.2) this season.

“When you get hit in life, when you get hit in football, you’ve got two options: You can stay down, or you can get up,” Sirianni said. “I know this group is fighters. I know this group will get up. I know that we’ve all had to deal with (expletive), and we know how to get up.”

Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield has taken his share of hits this season, too. He played through rib and ankle issues against the Panthers but is on a roll entering his first playoff game since the 2020 season with the Cleveland Browns. He passed for 1,456 yards with 11 touchdowns, three interceptions and a 100.6 rating during the 5-1 finish.

Mayfield did not practice Thursday, along with left tackle Tristan Wirfs (illness) and linebacker K.J. Britt (calf).

Hurts was limited for the Eagles on Thursday while Brown did not practice. Neither did safeties Reed Blankenship (groin) and Sydney Brown (knee).

This is the sixth time the Buccaneers and Eagles have met in the postseason, with Tampa Bay holding a 3-2 lead and having won the most recent meeting two years ago on wild-card weekend.

–Field Level Media

Jan 7, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) is tackled by Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White (45) in the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Buccaneers clinch NFC South with ugly win at Panthers

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Chase McLaughlin kicked three field goals and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers clinched the NFC South for the third season in a row by defeating the host Carolina Panthers 9-0 on Sunday afternoon at Charlotte, N.C.

The Buccaneers (9-8) won five of their last six games in the regular season.

Carolina (2-15) finished with the worst record in the NFL. The Panthers were shutout victims in each of their last two games, gaining 199 yards of total offense in the finale.

Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield, who began last season playing for Carolina, was 20-for-32 for 137 passing yards as The Buccaneers completed the season sweep.

Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick in last spring’s draft was 11-for-18 for 94 yards and sacked three times. Running back Chubba Hubbard gained 83 yards on 23 carries.

McLaughlin kicked second-quarter field goals from 36 and 57 yards, the latter on the final play of the first half. His fourth-quarter field goal from 39 yards out came with 10:18 remaining.

Tampa Bay’s defense was led by safety Antoine Winfield Jr., who set a single-season franchise record for tackles by a defensive back with 117.

The Panthers had a few scoring chances, but twice turnovers intervened.

Matt Wright, who was in his first game with the team because of an injury to kicker Eddy Pineiro, missed wide on a 52-yard field goal late in the third quarter. That came after a third-down sack pushed the Panthers back.

Carolina’s best opportunity came on their third possession. Young’s long pass to DJ Chark Jr. appeared to result in a touchdown, but replay review revealed that Chark lost possession of the ball before crossing the end goal line, with the Buccaneers recovering the fumble for a touchback.

Then trailing 9-0, the Panthers reached Tampa Bay territory after converting on a fourth-down play. But after reaching the Tampa Bay 28 and having a would-be touchdown called back because of an illegal formation penalty, Young was sacked and fumbled, thwarting that drive.

This was the second time in the final four weeks of the regular season that the winning team at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium failed to score a touchdown. The Panthers beat the Atlanta Falcons 9-7 on Dec. 17.

–Field Level Media

Dec 31, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) drops back to pass against the New Orleans Saints in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield ‘full go’ with playoff spot on the line

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield received the green light to play in Sunday’s must-win game against the Carolina Panthers.

Mayfield avoided serious injury after taking a late hit in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss to the New Orleans Saints, and head coach Todd Bowles said his quarterback will play Sunday in Charlotte, N.C.

“He’s full go,” Bowles said after Friday’s practice. “He’ll be ready to go on Sunday. We expect him to be the same as he always was.”

The Buccaneers win the NFC South for the third consecutive season and would host a wild-card playoff game with a win over the Panthers (2-14).

Mayfield absorbed a blow to the ribs from Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu last week but remained in the game, although he appeared uncomfortable afterward.

X-rays were negative.

In his first season with the Buccaneers, the 28-year-old Mayfield has completed 64.4 percent of his passes for a 3,907 yards with 28 touchdowns — both career highs — and 10 interceptions in 16 starts. He also has rushed for a score.

Bowles also said cornerback Carlton Davis (concussion) and tight end Ko Kieft (shoulder) will play Sunday.

The Buccaneers also could win the division if they tie the Panthers and the New Orleans Saints lose to the Atlanta Falcons or tie.

The Buccaneers would still clinch a playoff berth with a tie, plus a loss by the Seattle Seahawks and a Green Bay Packers loss or tie.

–Field Level Media

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) drops back to pass against the New Orleans Saints in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Buccaneers on brink of playoffs, must tame Panthers

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A simple math problem awaits the Buccaneers, and the assignment looks rather routine on paper: Beat the lowly Carolina Panthers on Sunday afternoon in Charlotte, N.C., and one of the NFC’s seven playoff spots belongs to Tampa Bay.

“I know their record doesn’t show it, but they’re really scrappy, so we have to come with it,” Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans said.

The Buccaneers (8-8) can clinch the NFC South by winning regardless of what happens with co-leader New Orleans against the Atlanta Falcons. Tampa Bay could have sealed the divisional title by beating the Saints a week ago, but New Orleans halted the Buccaneers’ four-game winning streak to add a dash of drama to the regular-season finale.

“We won four out of five,” Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles said. “If we win five out of six, we get in. We’ve just got to buckle down and win the last one.”

In their first season since Tom Brady retired, the Buccaneers are aiming for their third consecutive divisional title. They’re thankful they have another chance, and the spoils would include hosting a wild-card playoff game next week.

“We’ve got to be able to show up when we need it,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said. “But, luckily, we have one more game to seal this thing. Once again, (our) back is against the wall.”

The Panthers (2-14) hold the worst record in the NFL and enter following a shutout loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars, 26-0. But the Panthers do have teeth. They nearly took down Tampa Bay in the first meeting, a 21-18 loss on Dec. 3. And Carolina knocked the Falcons out of a share of first place in the NFC South last month in a rain-soaked 9-7 home victory.

The turbulent season for the Panthers is about to close.

They’ve gone through a coaching change — again — and the introduction of quarterback Bryce Young, the first player selected in the 2023 draft. On the periphery this week was a $300,000 fine assessed to franchise owner David Tepper for his interaction with fans in Jacksonville. Video surfaced showing Tepper flipping his drink at the crowd.

“I feel that we’ve got a lot to show,” Panthers defensive lineman Derrick Brown said. “Unfortunately, this season didn’t go the way we wanted it to.”

The season already has been defined for Carolina. Interim head coach Chris Tabor said his message to the team to embrace one last chance to make an impact on the division and playoff race.

“What I have to do as a coach and leading this team at this moment is make sure that we’re pros,” Tabor said. “Be a pro.”

The Panthers gave no consideration to resting Young or others who aren’t truly injured, a trend across the league for teams with more comfortable positions in the standings.

“If you’re available to play, you’re playing,” Tabor said.

In the first matchup with the Buccaneers, Young was sacked four times and intercepted once. His offensive support has dwindled in some regard as only receivers Adam Thielen, Terrance Marshall Jr. and Mike Strachan were full participants in Wednesday’s practice. Jonathan Mingo went on injured reserve.

Carolina’s offense is averaging 167.1 yards per game for the second-worst mark in the league.

Kicker Eddy Pineiro has a hamstring ailment that might sideline him this week. Matthew Wright has been added to the practice squad in case he’s needed to be activated.

The Buccaneers want to take advantage of the Panthers anyway possible.

“We’ve got to win this next game in Carolina to win the division and go from there,” said Mayfield, who began the 2022 season with the Panthers. “All you need is to get a chance to get in (the postseason) and we’re still sitting right where we need to be.”

–Field Level Media

Dec 31, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs (14) runs with the ball along the sidelines after making a catch against the New England Patriots during the second half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

NFL playoff scenarios: Dolphins, Bills, others control own destiny

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The Miami Dolphins, the Buffalo Bills and three AFC South clubs are among the eight NFL teams who control their own playoff destinies in Week 18.

The Dolphins (11-5) will host the Bills (10-6) in the final game of the regular season Sunday night, with the winner clinching the AFC East title. The Dolphins would also get in with a tie, while the Bills still can wind up as the sixth or seventh seed in a few other scenarios, including a loss or tie by the Jacksonville Jaguars or Pittsburgh Steelers.

The three-team race in the AFC South features the Jaguars, Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts, all currently 9-7.

The Jaguars control their destiny to win the division title simply by beating the Tennessee Titans on Sunday afternoon, but when the Texans visit the Colts on Saturday night, the winner will be guaranteed at least a playoff bid.

If Jacksonville loses to or ties with Tennessee, the Houston-Indianapolis winner will win the AFC South and the right to host a playoff game as the No. 4 seed.

In the NFC, the Dallas Cowboys (11-5) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8) are one win away from clinching the NFC East and South titles, respectively.

Dallas visits Washington on Sunday and can also secure the division banner if the Philadelphia Eagles (11-5) lose to the New York Giants. If the Eagles win and Dallas loses or ties — or if the Eagles tie and the Cowboys lose — then Philadelphia will lock up the NFC East crown despite a 1-4 December.

Tampa Bay visits the league-worst Carolina Panthers, and if the Buccaneers tie, they’d still fend off the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons for the NFC South crown if New Orleans loses to or ties with Atlanta.

The Saints (8-8) need to finish with a better record than the Buccaneers (8-8) to win the division, so they need a win and a Tampa Bay loss or tie, or a Saints tie plus a Bucs loss. The Falcons (7-9) can only win the division by beating the Saints and having the Buccaneers lose, forcing a three-way tie at 8-9 that Atlanta would win via tiebreaker.

There is also one NFC wild-card spot still up for grabs, and in that race, the Green Bay Packers (8-8) control their destiny. They have six clinching scenarios for Week 18, but the simplest one is to beat the visiting Chicago Bears.

Also in the chase are the Seattle Seahawks (8-8), the Minnesota Vikings (7-9), the Saints and the Buccaneers.

The Seahawks will grab the wild-card berth if they beat the Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay loses or ties. If Seattle happens to tie with Arizona, a Green Bay loss and a loss or tie by either Tampa Bay or New Orleans would also let the Seahawks sneak in.

The Vikings must beat the Detroit Lions and get losses from the Packers and Seahawks, plus a loss by either the Buccaneers or the Saints.

The biggest prizes of the regular season were decided in Week 17 when the Baltimore Ravens (13-3) and San Francisco 49ers (12-4) clinched the No. 1 seeds in the AFC and NFC, respectively.

The Ravens may choose to rest their players in Week 18 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh, at 9-7, still has a path to grab an AFC wild-card berth:
1. PIT win + BUF loss OR
2. PIT win + JAX loss or tie OR
3. PIT win + HOU-IND tie OR
4. PIT tie + JAX loss + HOU-IND doesn’t end in tie OR
5. JAX loss + DEN win + HOU-IND doesn’t end in tie

–Field Level Media

Dec 31, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Jamaal Williams (21) runs with the ball as Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White (45) and linebacker Lavonte David (54) tackle during the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

Saints spoil Bucs’ clinching plans, remain in playoff hunt

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Derek Carr threw two touchdown passes, the New Orleans defense forced four turnovers and the visiting Saints kept their playoff hopes alive with a 23-13 victory against the Tampa Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon.

Carr completed 24-of-32 passes for 197 yards and threw touchdowns to Taysom Hill and Juwan Johnson, who finished with eight catches for 90 yards.

Baker Mayfield was 22-of-33 passing for 309 yards and two touchdowns but had two interceptions. Tampa Bay (8-8), which had won four in a row, missed an opportunity to clinch its third consecutive NFC South title, but can still do so with a victory at Carolina next weekend.

The Saints (8-8), who avenged a 26-9 home loss to Tampa Bay in Week 4, can win the South by beating visiting Atlanta next weekend if the Buccaneers lose to the Panthers.

Tampa Bay forced a 3-and-out on the first possession of the second half, then drove to the New Orleans 43. But Rachaad White fumbled when he was hit by Johnathan Abram. Demario Davis recovered for the Saints and returned to their 45.

New Orleans made two first downs before stalling and Blake Grupe kicked a 28-yard field goal for a 20-0 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Mayfield threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Trey Palmer to trim the lead to 20-7 with 7:50 remaining.

After Grupe kicked a 38-yard field goal, Mayfield threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to Chris Godwin, but the two-point conversion pass was intercepted by Paulson Abedo, leaving New Orleans with a 10-point lead.

The Saints scored a touchdown on their first possession for the first time this season. Carr finished a 14-play, 73-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Johnson. The 7-0 lead held up through the end of the first quarter.

The Buccaneers drove to the New Orleans 36 early in the second quarter before Alontae Taylor intercepted Mayfield at the 2.

Carr threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Hill and Grupe added a 45-yard goal to increase the Saints’ lead to 17-0 at halftime.

–Field Level Media

Dec 24, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (31) and cornerback Jamel Dean (35) react to a play against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Bucs attempt to clinch NFC South with Saints coming to town

Posted on | by Field Level Media

For much of the past three months, it seemed like the tightly bunched NFC South was destined to be decided in the final week of the regular season.

At times it looked as though the champion might not even have a winning record — which is what happened last season when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers clinched the division with an 8-9 mark.

This time around, Tampa Bay has gotten hot at the right time and has won four games in a row, and it can lock down the top spot in the NFC South with a victory on Sunday against the visiting New Orleans Saints.

“It means a ton just to be able to possibly do it at home and against a division opponent as well,” Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield said of clinching. “The things we’ve had to do and go through to get to this point, it means quite a bit when you look at having to rattle off this many (wins) in a row and having to do it again at home.

“It’s a great opportunity for us and just the beginning of where we eventually want to get to.”

Tampa Bay (8-7) won its first two games but slid to 4-7 after losing seven of nine before the current winning streak began.

The Buccaneers have averaged 28.5 points per game during the winning streak after scoring at least 28 points just once in their first 11 contests. They gained a season-high 452 yards in a Dec. 17 victory against Green Bay and had their fifth-highest total (335 yards) last week against Jacksonville.

“The (key) was to weather the storm, trust the system, don’t try and do too much, don’t reinvent the wheel,” Mayfield said. “Just stick with it, just improve on it and finally success will come within the system.”

Tampa Bay holds the tiebreaker against New Orleans and the Atlanta Falcons, who are tied for second in the division at 7-8. The Buccaneers handed the Saints their most lopsided loss of the season — 26-9 — back in Week 4 in New Orleans.

The Saints lost control of their fate when the Bucs defeated Jacksonville 30-12 last Sunday, three days after New Orleans lost 30-22 to the host Los Angeles Rams.

“When you’re in this league, every time you get an opportunity to take the field you need to make sure you’re taking advantage of it,” Saints coach Dennis Allen said. “So, we need to go play good football, and we need to get a win and it starts this week against Tampa.”

New Orleans has lost more games than it has won even though it is in the top half of the NFL in both scoring (22.1 points per game, tied for 13th) and scoring defense (19.8 points allowed per game, ninth).

“You would expect to win more games (with those statistics),” Allen said. “We’ve got to ultimately finish games out. All of us understand that this is a production-based business. I don’t think anybody’s trying to skirt that. We’ve got to do a better job of producing and producing wins.”

Offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk and cornerback Lonnie Johnson missed the Saints’ practice on Wednesday due to knee injuries. Defensive end Cameron Jordan (ankle) and wide receiver Chris Olave (ankle) were among those limited.

Buccaneers linebacker Shaquil Barrett (groin) sat out Wednesday’s practice, as did cornerback Carlton Davis (concussion) and tight end Ko Kieft (shoulder).

–Field Level Media

Dec 24, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) makes the catch against Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Tyson Campbell (32) in the second quarter for the touchdown at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

Buccaneers rout Jaguars to stay on top in division race

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Baker Mayfield threw two touchdown passes to Mike Evans and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took advantage of Jacksonville’s offensive follies to beat the visiting Jaguars 30-12 on Sunday.

Mayfield was 26-for-35 for 283 yards, including seven completions to Evans for 86 yards. Chase McLaughlin made three field goals for Tampa Bay (8-7), including a 51-yarder in the third quarter.

Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who cleared concussion protocol after a week of uncertainty, was 17-for-29 for 211 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in three quarters. C.J. Beathard replaced Lawrence in the fourth quarter after he was ruled out with a right shoulder injury.

Evan Engram caught 10 passes for 95 yards and Calvin Ridley had six receptions for 90 yards and both of Jacksonville’s touchdowns.

The Jaguars (8-7), who trailed 30-0 late in the third quarter, fell into a tie for first place with Indianapolis and Houston in the AFC South.

In the NFC South, Tampa Bay holds a one-game lead on New Orleans and Atlanta with two weeks left.

The Buccaneers used up more than half of the first quarter before the Jaguars even took an offensive snap. A 14-play drive that consumed 7:38 resulted in McLaughlin’s 24-yard field goal. Mayfield threw for 59 yards on the drive, which included three third-down conversions.

Tampa Bay went up 10-0 when Mayfield hooked up with Evans on a 3-yard touchdown. Then, McLaughlin was good from 31 yards out to stretch the lead with 2:27 to play in the first half.

The second touchdown for Evans came on a 22-yard play with 45 seconds left in the half, which ended with a 20-0 Bucs lead.

Jacksonville had four first-half possessions, with those ending in an interception by Devin White, Brandon McManus’ miss on a 52-yard field goal, an interception by Antoine Winfield Jr. and a punt.

The Jaguars got the ball to begin the second half and fumbled three plays later.

The Buccaneers needed to go only 37 yards to stretch their lead to 27-0 on Rachaad White’s 2-yard run.

Trailing by 30, the Jaguars finally scored in the final minute of the third quarter on Lawrence’s 18-yard pass to Ridley. Beathard found Ridley for a 1-yard score late in the fourth.

–Field Level Media