Rapid-fire takes from the Buccaneers' Week 2 win over Texans

For the second week in a row, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed the final minutes of the game to secure a road win. Dramatically, the Bucs defeated the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football, scoring the game-winning touchdown with just six seconds left on the clock to win 23-20.

It's encouraging to see Tampa Bay pull off close wins in games they might've lost in the past. There's something to be said about the resiliency and grit of this Buccaneers team. They've been here before and don't want to live here. Road wins are always tough to come by, especially starting the season with back-to-back ones, and the Bucs are getting valuable experience and creating trust in one another that no matter what happens, they can weather the storm.

Tampa Bay will make its opening debut at Raymond James Stadium this week against the New York Jets. It's a throwback game for the fans, but the Bucs have had some bad luck in recent years in their creamsicle uniforms. But before we get into Week 3, here are some of my rapid-fire takes following the Bucs' Week 2 win over the Texans.

Baker Mayfield is a dawg

Another week, another late-game comeback and heroics by Mayfield. It’s almost like he thrives in these situations.

Mayfield once again had to don the cape to propel the Bucs to their win over the Texans. On 4th and 10, with less than a minute and 30 seconds on the clock, Mayfield Houdini’d out of a near sack and scrambled for 15 yards to pick up the first down and keep the drive alive. Six plays later, the Bucs punched it in on a Rachaad White touchdown from two yards out with six seconds on the clock to secure the victory. Mayfield was beaten and battered throughout the game but displayed the resiliency and adrenaline to keep going, and it paid off big time.

Calijah Kancey's injury will be tough to overcome

The Bucs have been down this road before with their former first-round pick. Kancey has yet to stay healthy for a full season since the Bucs drafted him 19th overall in the 2023 draft. However, this year’s injury feels a bit more deflating. Kancey was primed for a breakout season after notching 7.5 sacks in just 12 games last year. There is currently no one on the Bucs roster who can do the things he can do, and replacing that production looks near impossible, barring any sort of trade. The trickle-down effect will be felt across the defensive line, and it likely falls on Greg Gaines and rookie Elijah Roberts to fill the void.

Don’t rush Tristan Wirfs back

If Luke Goedeke’s recent setback with his foot injury isn’t cautionary enough, I’ll say for those in the back: Don’t rush Tristan Wirfs back. The Bucs will be reeling come Sunday against the Jets with both of their star tackles sidelined to injury. As Wirfs continues to ramp back up, the Bucs can’t make any hasty decisions that would subject him to any sort of re-aggravation. The All-Pro tackle needs to be as close to 100 percent as possible before he takes the field, as the lumps he takes will add up as the season progresses. Tampa Bay needs him for the long haul, and rushing him back too soon could end up throwing a major wrench into those plans.

Rachaad White needs more touches

Rachaad White has only 15 touches through the first two games, with just three touches in Game 1. The Bucs leaned on him more against the Texans, and he produced. On 10 carries, he ran for 65 yards and an impressive 6.5 yards per carry. He’s only had three targets as a receiving back, and while they use him for his prowess as a blocker, he needs more opportunities to have the ball in his hands.

Pass rush needs to step up

This becomes incrementally harder with the loss of Calijah Kancey, but the Bucs need to find a way to get more pressure with their base four alignment. Yaya Diaby and Haason Reddick were largely invisible and saw their pressure rate drop in half against the Texans. Diaby and Reddick logged 40 and 41 snaps, respectively — their backups, Anthony Nelson and Chris Braswell, only logged a combined 17 snaps. The Bucs need their star pass rushers to step up with Kancey out, as there's no clear answer on who steps up in his absence.

Turnovers? What turnovers?

The Bucs capitalized in the preseason with a league-high six interceptions. Since the regular season has started, the Bucs have about five dropped interceptions, including two by Zyon McCollum in Week 1 and a gift basket pass into the hands of Lavonte David against the Texans. The underlying problem is that the Bucs rarely got their hands on the ball. The defense managed to break up just two of Stroud’s 24 passes, and that includes David’s dropped pick. The Bucs can’t hope to rely on late-game heroics every week, and getting some turnovers on defense would go a long way towards putting more points on the board.

Is it time to look for a new kicker?

Two weeks and three missed kicks? Maybe it's time to be concerned about Bucs kicker Chase McLaughlin.

However, I don't think it’s time to panic. Kickers can go through slumps, it hasn’t cost the Bucs the game just yet and kickers as accurate as he has been don't just grow on trees. It is a bit concerning that he is missing indoors, and Sunday’s home opener in the elements will be crucial for him. I’d expect the Bucs to bring in some tryouts and sign someone to the practice squad, with an elevation to the active roster at defensive tackle likely coming soon. Perhaps Ryan Coe, who was with the Bucs in the preseason.

Josh Grizzard calls another excellent two-minute drive

Cool, calm, and collected, Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard dialed up an excellent two-minute drill for the second straight week. Aided with some “Baker Magic”, Grizzard empowered Mayfield to lean on his playmakers as they marched down the field. He found Bucky Irving on the drive for a total of 39 yards, Mike Evans for 11 yards and Cade Otton for 13 yards. Knowing what the Texans can do with time on the clock, they let it wind down, calling a run with just nine seconds left on the clock, knowing they had a timeout in their back pocket to take another chance. They didn’t need it. Rachaad White plunged into the end zone from two yards out, and Grizzard got his second win, coming in the final minutes of the game.

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