Baker Mayfield Masterful Again as Buccaneers Dominate Jaguars to Secure Fourth Consecutive Win
The Jacksonville Jaguars (8-6) traveled just 200 miles to make it to Raymond James Stadium in order to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7) in what was a crucial cross-conference battle between two southern division leaders.
All the talk leading up to this matchup was about the quarterbacks. Baker Mayfield, coming off his best performance in years – which earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors – and Trevor Lawrence, who was a late addition to the lineup after working his way out of concussion protocol throughout the week.
With Lawrence ready to go by the time kickoff came around, the headline for this game was simple: Two teams with the opportunity to control their own destiny.
Let’s take a look at what happened next.
The Buccaneers received the opening kickoff, and Dave Canales' offense didn't waste any time picking up where they left off last week. A couple receptions by rookie Trey Palmer, and a 22-yard reception by Chris Godwin, put the Bucs deep in Jacksonville territory in quick order. The Bucs couldn't quite finish the job though, and were forced to settle for a short Chase McLaughlin field goal to get the scoring started on their opening drive.
Buccaneers 3, Jaguars 0
Jacksonville's ensuing possession saw connections from Lawrence to trusty tight end Evan Engram, and explosive running back Travis Etienne, which brought the Jags past midfield.
Then, after two consecutive stops by Todd Bowles’ defense, the Jags were facing a 3rd-and-15. Trevor Lawrence dropped back to pass to the wide side of the field when he was picked off by Bucs’ linebacker, Devin White.
The crowd at Raymond James Stadium immediately erupted with excitement, and there’s no question that White must have felt some form of vindication following a week that has seen his character called into question by the media and fans in Tampa.
It was obvious that Devin White was playing with a little extra gas in the tank in this game.
Following the interception, the Bucs' next drive started from their own 44-yard line. Which is when it started to become very obvious that Baker Mayfield had carried over plenty of momentum from what was a near-flawless performance in Green Bay a week earlier.
On one drop back, while under serious pressure from star pass rusher Josh Allen, Mayfield didn’t panic, but instead calmly climbed the pocket and delivered a strike to Mike Evans over the middle of the field for a gain of 19-yards. It was Evans’ second reception of the drive, and it brought the Bucs within striking distance.
Dec 24, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) drops back to pass against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Baker also had two classic scrambles on the drive, in which his signature grit and toughness were on full display. After the Bucs’ converted a 4th-and-2 with a crafty play design where Mayfield pitched the ball to Rachaad White, who picked up the necessary yardage with relative ease, Mayfield then hit Mike Evans on an out-route near the front pylon securing the team’s first touchdown of the day just a few minutes into the second quarter.
Buccaneers 10, Jaguars 0
The touchown reception bumped Mike Evans up to 12th all time in NFL receiving touchdowns, surpassing none other than former Buccaneer, Rob Gronkowski.
Things weren't just clicking on offense for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' today though. Todd Bowles' defense came to play too.
Lavonte David proved to be an ageless wonder on a play where he sacked Trevor Lawrence for a loss of 8-yards on a blitz, just one play before Carlton Davis was injured attempting to make a tackle on Travis Etienne as he was darting up the field after receiving a screen pass.
Shortly thereafter, on an end-around, rookie edge rusher, YaYa Diaby, made a huge play. Calvin Ridley took a jet sweep and YaYa, making his pursuit on the far side of the field, didn’t halt his pursuit in the backfield, and used his length and power to lunge forward — while being blocked — and tackle Ridley for a massive loss of 12-yards.
The play forced the Jags to settle for a field goal, which saw Brett McManus miss a 52-yard attempt.
Tampa Bay's next drive saw them move the ball down the field, but like the first drive of the game, they were unable to hit paydirt, and instead opted to settle for a field goal. This time, it was a 31-yard field goal for Chase McLaughlin.
Buccaneers 13, Jaguars 0
When Jacksonville got the ball back, you could see that Trevor Lawrence felt some serious urgency to make a play for his team. Then sure enough, just a couple of plays later, when trying to hit Evan Engram up the seam, Lawrence overthrew him, and Antoine Winfield dove under the ball to make the interception.
The Bucs took over at their own 35-yard line with 1:40 left in the first half. Baker Mayfield quickly got his team into hurry up mode. First, he hit Rachaad White, then Chris Godwin, then Mike Evans for three consecutive short completions within a matter of seconds. Then, facing a 3rd-and-5, Mayfield hit Mike Evans for a gain of 16-yards near the left hash mark putting Tampa Bay just outside the red zone.
On the very next play, Baker went for the jugular.
Mayfield dropped back with an obvious bounce in his step, and he quickly delivered a laser to Mike Evans in the heart of the end zone. On the play, Evans had created just enough separation running a skinny post, and made the contested catch by shielding the defender in the air with his body, while gracefully hauling it in for a 22-yard touchdown reception.
Buccaneers 20, Jaguars 0
The touchdown catch was Evans' second on the day, and his 13th of the season. Not only that, but it immediately catapulted him into first place in the NFL in touchdown receptions for 2023, surpassing potential MVP candidate, Tyreek Hill.
Dec 24, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) celebrates the touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports
Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports
On the ensuing possession, the Bucs' still needed to make a stop. And after forcing the Jags into a 3rd down, Devin White and Antoine Winfield Jr. both shot through the A-gap in a follow-the-leader type of blitz, which resulted in both players getting home to make the sack at the same time, forcing Jacksonville to punt the ball with 23 seconds remaining in the first half.
By halftime, Baker Mayfield had accounted for 193 yards through the air, 2 passing touchdowns (both to Mike Evans), and 0 interceptions. It was obvious that despite plenty of chatter pregame about a potential Mayfield extension in Tampa, the Bucs' quarterback wasn't going to lose sight of the task at hand.
Jacksonville had possession to start the second half, but that didn't last long.
Just a few plays into the third quarter, Devin White attacked the line of scrimmage on a blitz, and sacked Trevor Lawrence while simultaneously forcing a fumble. YaYa Diaby, who was right in the mix as well, was the beneficiary. Despite being on the ground, Diaby quickly reached out his falcon-like talons and snatched the ball to secure possession for his team.
Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers' offense made quick work of the advantageous field position. After faking a jet-sweep handoff, Mayfield casually recalibrated his feet, squared up with the line of scrimmage, and lofted a beautiful pass high into the air. At the same time, rookie tight end Payne Durham — after running a nifty out-and-up on a linebacker — lept up to snatch the ball out of the air at the 2-yard line.
Rachaad White punched it in on the very next play.
Buccaneers 27, Jaguars 0
The Jags second drive of the half saw them fail to convert on a 4th down attempt, giving the ball back to the Buccaneers.
After spreading the ball around to several different receivers, and moving the ball into Jacksonville territory, Tampa Bay was content to settle with another Chase McLaughlin field goal.
Buccaneers 30, Jaguars 0
After a drive that saw Trevor Lawrence under heavy duress from the Bucs' defensive line, the Jaguars' feisty quarterback managed to pick up several first downs with his legs. Despite showing obvious signs of discomfort, he ended up finishing off the drive by hitting Calvin Ridley in the end zone for the Jaguars' first points of the game.
The Jags failed their 2-point conversion attempt.
It was the last pass attempt Lawrence would make in this game as he was sent to the sidelines with a shoulder injury, making way for backup C.J. Beathard to lead the Jaguars the rest of the way.
Buccaneers 30, Jaguars 6
Following the next offensive series for the Buccaneers, which resulted in a punt, they found themselves in the unfamiliar position of being back on defense without having added more points to the scoreboard.
But the defense picked them right back up.
While making a tackle on Evan Engram, Bucs' cornerback Zyon McCollum used his shoulder/elbow to dislodge a football, and to the surprise of absolutely no one, Antoine Winfield Jr. pounced on the loose ball to regain possession for the Buccaneers.
Winfield would end up finishing the day with an interception, a sack, and a fumble recovery. His production this season has been truly astounding, and as he continues his ascension to stardom, it's become clear that the 2023 season has all but solidified his status as one of the best — if not the best — safeties in the game.
Despite starting the drive from Jacksonville's 34-yard line, the Bucs came up short again after opting to take a shot at the end zone on 4th down instead of attempting a relatively short field goal attempt.
Although the Jaguars did manage to move the ball down the field with C.J. Beathard at the helm — aided by an absolutely egregious roughing call against Devin White on what was a perfectly executed sack — the Jags were unable to capitalize.
When Jacksonville took their shot, Zyon McCollum dropped a gift of an interception in the end zone on fourth down. He was likely hypnotized by 99-yards of lush green grass, which was the only thing standing between him and the end zone on the opposite side of the field, had he managed to haul it in.
The Jags were able to punch in one more garbage time touchdown, with C.J. Beathard hitting Ridley for his second touchdown of the game. Again, Jacksonville was unable to convert on the 2-point conversion.
Final Score: Buccaneers 30, Jaguars 12
Final Thoughts
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a statement today.
With all the noise about how great they played in Green Bay, the news of a potential contract extension on the horizon for Baker Mayfield, and plenty of other opportunities to lose focus coming into this game... the Buccaneers did not.
Instead, they did their job. Not only that, but they did so in dominating fashion. Todd Bowles' defense generated a ton of turnovers and splash plays in this contest, putting together their most impressive performance of the season.
On offense, Baker Mayfield was once again masterful. He executed Dave Canales' rapidly evolving scheme with confidence, poise, and efficiency. He spread the ball around, took advantage of Rachaad White's receiving skills, and like he's done all season long, he let the big dog (Mike Evans) eat.
Today, just like five years ago, Baker Mayfield woke up feeling dangerous. And now, with his team surging, and players on both sides of the ball rallying around him, it looks like this Tampa Bay Buccaneers team is starting to feel dangerous, too.
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