Buccaneers need last-second heroics once again to beat Jets in Week 3

It wasn't pretty — none of Tampa Bay's wins really have been so far — but it was a victory. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the New York Jets on Sunday, and in doing so, start the season 3-0 and maintain an undefeated streak.

The Buccaneers rolled out with a patchwork offensive line, and while the offense certainly suffered because of it, it was the defense that stepped up. A defensive touchdown and a swarming effort from Todd Bowles' unit stopped the Jets in their tracks, and the team was able to lean on that to get yet another win.

Here's how Sunday's game went down:

Penalties galore in the first quarter

Referee Alex Moore prepares to make a call during the second half of game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Panthers — Referee Alex Moore prepares to make a call during the second half of game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Carolina Panthers. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Jets marched down the field on their opening drive (with the help of some penalties from the Bucs defense), but the Bucs, for the first time this year, were able to stop them in the red zone and limit them to three points. The Bucs held their own offensive drive that was also riddled with penalties, and eventually, Chase McLaughlin hit a 54-yarder to even the score 3-3.

The first quarter ended with the Jets driving down the field on offense. There was, of course, one more penalty called for holding before the quarter ended, making it 11 total for the first quarter.

Emeka Egbuka stuns in the second quarter

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) looks on before the game against the Atlanta Falcons. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Jets hit a field goal to kick the second quarter off, making it 6-3. The Bucs led a scoring drive after that featured Mike Evans' first touchdown of the year to put the Bucs up 10-6, but all eyes were on Emeka Egbuka after he made an unbelievable grab over Sauce Gardner.

Just think about not having Emeka Egbuka on your football team. I can’t even imagine pic.twitter.com/fhUnnrif7O
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) September 21, 2025

The Jets got to midfield and went for a 4th & 1, but they weren't able to get it. The Bucs couldn't do anything with the good field position, so they kicked it back to the Jets with about eight minutes left in the second quarter. The Jets didn't do anything with it, so it went right back to the Bucs.

The Bucs couldn't get it done, fumbling the ball on third down after Baker Mayfield got hit, but they recovered it and punted. The Bucs got their first turnover of the season after that, though, when Antoine Winfield Jr. strip-sacked Tyrod Taylor and Vita Vea recovered. That put the Bucs in plus-territory, and they had a chance to score a touchdown with the two-minute warning looming.

The Bucs couldn't get in the end zone, so they kicked a field goal to make it 13-6. The Jets went three-and-out pretty fast, though, so the Bucs had 1:22 to do something with the football before the half. They couldn't, though, so they gave it back to the Jets with 0:49 left. The Bucs got their second turnover of the day soon after, with Jamel Dean picking off a pass and taking it for six, so Tampa Bay went to the locker room up 20-6.

Buccaneers eat up most of third quarter

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) looks to pass against the New York Jets in the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Bucs had the ball to start the third quarter, and they marched all the way down inside the 10-yard line. They couldn't convert at that point, though, so they ended up kicking, making it 23-6. The drive took up an astonishing 9:09 off the clock, though, so the Jets got the ball back with just 5:51 to go. The Jets moved down the field but had to go for it on 4th & 12, and they couldn't do it, so they gave the ball back to the Buccaneers.

The Bucs had the ball when the quarter ended, taking us to the fourth.

Jets keep it close with the Buccaneers in the fourth quarter

Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Haason Reddick (5) reacts after a play against the New York Jets. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Buccaneers punted on their opening drive of the fourth quarter. The Jets were able to score their first touchdown on the day during the following drive, with a touchdown to Garrett Wilson, and the XP was good — the Bucs were still up 23-13 with 10 minutes left in the game.

The Bucs offense needed to get something done, and they led a 3:59 drive that resulted in a field goal, putting the Bucs up 26-13. The Jets responded by leading a long drive themselves, scoring a touchdown via an Allen Lazard catch to get within six points, 26-20. With that, the Buccaneers had to score at least a field goal to put the game away.

That's when disaster struck. The Bucs had the ball, and thanks to a 33-yard scramble by Mayfield (his longest since his rookie year!), the Buccaneers were able to try and kick a field goal. It got blocked, and the Jets ran it back for a touchdown to make it 27-26 Jets with just 1:49 to go.

The Buccaneers went all the way down the field thanks to the help of Emeka Egbuka and Sterling Shepard. Chase McLaughlin had to try one more time to hit the field goal, and he did, propelling the Bucs to 3-0.

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