Tampa Bay Buccaneers Dominate Philadelphia Eagles 32-9, Advance to Divisional Round
Despite a wide array of skeptics coming into the year, the 2023 Tampa Bay Buccaneers managed to grind their way to a winning record, and their third consecutive NFC South Division title.
Mike Evans proved that he is still an elite wide receiver, and deserves to be paid like it. Antoine Winfield Jr. proved that Pro-Bowl voting is a joke. Tristan Wirfs proved that he can dominate no matter where he lines up along the line of scrimmage. Lavonte David proved that age is just a number. And Baker Mayfield proved that he can be an effective starting quarterback in this league.
Those are just some of the individual accomplishments we witnessed this season. But football is a team sport. And collectively, the job wasn't done yet.
Although the Buccaneers stumbled through the finish line of the regular season, they still managed to win five out of their final six games in order to clinch a valuable home playoff game. Meanwhile, their first round opponent, the Philadelphia Eagles, crawled into the postseason battered and bruised, having lost five of their last six.
Still, the Eagles came into this final game of the NFL's Super Wildcard Weekend as the betting favorite. But NFL playoff games aren't decided by nerds behind their computer screens, prognosticators on television, or betting algorithms. They're decided by the players on the field, when the lights are shining brightest.
Which is exactly what happened when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles squared off at Raymond James Stadium on Monday Night Football, with a trip to Detroit for the Divisional Round Playoffs on the line.
First Quarter
After the Eagles deferred the opening kickoff, the Buccaneers started with the ball and got right to work. Mayfield completed passes to both Cade Otton and Mike Evans for gains of 15 and 21 yards, quickly moving the ball into plus territory. Rachaad White looked very sharp on the opening drive, highlighted by a play where he caught the ball in the flat -- surrounded by Eagles with nowhere to go -- and somehow managed to slip between multiple defenders to pick up a crucial first down inside the red zone. Unfortunately, a drop by Cade Otton in the end zone a couple plays later led to Todd Bowles' settling for a Cade McLaughlin field goal.
Buccaneers 3, Eagles 0
Despite a solid scamper by D'Andre Swift on the Eagles' first play from scrimmage, Todd Bowles' defense settled down nicely and forced Philly to punt shortly thereafter, giving the Bucs the ball back deep in their own territory.
After a big gain to David Moore, Baker Mayfield launched a picture-perfect deep ball down the right sideline. Mike Evans, who absolutely burned the defender in coverage, dropped a surefire touchdown just a couple of steps from the end zone. But this was meant to be the David Moore drive all along, apparently. On the very next play, Mayfield hit Moore with a 15-yard pass, which after zig-zagging his way between multiple Philadelphia defenders, Moore took to the house for a 44-yard touchdown.
On that second drive of the game, David Moore hauled in two catches for 66-yards and a touchdown, providing a huge boost to his team on his 29th birthday.
Buccaneers 10, Eagles 0
The ensuing Eagles possession went nowhere as the Bucs' defense once again forced a punt. Unfortunately for them, their star rookie pass rusher, YaYa Diaby, was forced to the sidelines after appearing to injure his shoulder.
With the ball back, it started to feel like easy pickings for Baker Mayfield, who again moved the ball past midfield, this time compliments of a 21-yard catch and run by Cade Otton, who was eager to make up for his earlier drop in the end zone.
Jan 15, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) drops back to throw against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half of a 2024 NFC wild card game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Second Quarter
As the first quarter came to a close, the Buccaneers had officially registered 90 yards after the catch, their highest mark of any quarter all season.
Unfortunately, Tampa Bay's drive came to a hault following a sack by Josh Sweat, and then a Baker Mayfield incompletion on 3rd-and-long that was nearly picked off. But thankfully for the Bucs, they've got Chase McLaughlin as their kicker. McLaughlin continued his stellar performance this season by sending his 54-yard field attempt directly through the uprights. It was the longest-made field goal in Tampa Bay Buccaneers postseason history, and the kick brought him up to a very impressive 8/9 from 50+ yards on the season.
Buccaneers 13, Eagles 0
Just as things were beginning to look very bleak for the Eagles' offense, Jalen Hurts connected with DeVonta Smith for a 31-yard gain. YaYa Diaby re-entered the game, and the Buccaneers' defense managed to stop the bleeding. The Eagles settled for a 47-yard Jake Elliot field goal to bring them back within 10.
Buccaneers 13, Eagles 3
Despite some really nice throws by Baker Mayfield, a bad drop by Cade Otton (his third of the game) and one by Mike Evans (his second) made the next possession more of a struggle than it needed to be. Still, some nifty calls by offensive coordinator, Dave Canales, combined with some grimy yards by Deven Thompkins, Chris Godwin, and Rachaad White, allowed the Bucs to at least get the ball into field goal range. Chase McLaughlin did the rest when he casually knocked in a 48-yarder to extend the Buccaneers' lead.
Buccaneers 16, Eagles 3
On the following Eagles drive, Jalen Hurts unloaded a bomb downfield which resulted in a 56-yard completion to DeVonta Smith. Winfield got caught flat footed, which allowed the speedy receiver to run free down the middle. On the very next play, Hurts hit his trusty tight end, Dallas Goedert, with a short pass, which he walked into the end zone unabated.
After a false start by Zyon McCollum on the Eagles' extra point attempt, Philadelphia opted to accept the penalty and take the chance to go for two from the 1-yard line. Which was when... wait for it... the always reliable 'Brotherly Shove' came up short. Clearly the Bucs had been preparing for the play, as a sea of red engulfed the Eagles' quarterback the second he took the snap.
The end result was a failed conversion, limiting the damage to six points for the Bucs.
Buccaneers 16, Eagles 9
With just a couple minutes left in the first half, the Buccaneers were unable to respond. Things got a little bit chippy after Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham sacked Mayfield on third-and-long near midfield. Jake Camarda's first punt of the game pinned the Eagles at their own 5-yard line with 1:42 on the clock.
Despite another nice couple catches by DeVonta Smith, who piled up 111 receiving yards on four catches in the first half, Tampa Bay got the stop they needed to head into the break without giving up any more points.
Third Quarter
The second half started off much slower than the first.
The Buccaneers came up with a big stop against Philly's offense to open the frame, and the Eagles returned the favor right after. Despite playing a strong first half, the Buccaneers' offensive line got absolutely manhandled by the Eagles' big defensive tackles on their first drive in the third quarter, resulting in a punt.
Todd Bowles' defense continued to hold strong though, and the Bucs quickly retained possession yet again. Although they were able to move the ball past midfield, a huge sack for a loss of 9-yards by Milton Williams on third down pushed Tampa Bay out of field goal range.
The next drive is where the Buccaneers' defense really made their imprint. After an incredibly athletic tackle for loss by Lavonte David on Kenneth Gainwell pushed the Eagles dangerously close to their own goal line, a collection of Bucs -- including Calijah Kancey and Anthony Nelson -- swarmed Jalen Hurts, and pushed him back into his own end zone. On the verge of being sacked by Nelson, Hurts made a last ditch effort to throw the ball while going to the ground, which was called for intentional grounding, and resulted in a safety.
Buccaneers 18, Eagles 9
Jan 15, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea (50) reacts after a play against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half of a 2024 NFC wild card game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
The Buccaneers offense wasn't going to waste another opportunity. On the second play of the drive, Baker Mayfield hit Trey Palmer near the sideline for a 6-yard completion. But when James Bradberry missed the tackle, the speedy rookie receiver put on the burners, and like he was shot out of a cannon (put intended) he took the ball the remaining 50-yards to the house in the blink of an eye.
Buccaneers 25, Eagles 9
Fourth Quarter
The Eagles put together a really strong drive in response. Utilizing his primary weapons, Smith, Goedert, and Swift, Jalen Hurts marched the ball into Buccaneers territory. The Bucs' defense did enough to force a field goal attempt, but when Zyon McCollum was called for a neutral zone infraction, the Eagles decided to change course and go for it on 4th-and-5.
Bad idea.
The pass fell incomplete and the Buccaneers once again recaptured possession without giving up any points.
Baker Mayfield then led a seven-minute drive which included completions to Godwin, Evans, and Otton, in addition to several strong runs from Rachaad White, and ultimately ended with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Chris Godwin.
Buccaneers 32, Eagles 9
Final Thoughts
Despite their inconsistencies this season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came to play when they needed to most. You could easily make the argument that this was the Bucs' most complete game of the season.
They played complimentary football.
The offensive line managed to survive the challenge of facing one of the best defensive lines the league has to offer, which provided Baker Mayfield enough time to survey the field and find a variety of different receivers throughout the game. The big guys up front also created enough space for Rachaad White to utilize his patience and shiftiness for positive gains all night.
Offensive coordinator, Dave Canales, was creative, efficient, and unpredictable in both his play calls and his sequencing. He went deeper into his bag in this game, and the results speak for themselves.
Todd Bowles clearly had a plan coming in this game, and all levels of his defense executed it from start to finish. Lavonte David, Calijah Kancey, and Jamel Dean are just a few of the players who stood out, but there's no question it was a full team effort.
Hopefully the many skeptics, analysts, and talking heads who doubted the Bucs coming into this season will now take a moment to re-evaluate their process. Because everyone who was actually familiar with the 2023 Tampa Bay Buccaneers' roster knew they were too talented to end the season with a top five pick in their pocket.
Did those same people think the Buccaneers would be two wins away from a Super Bowl appearance? Maybe not. But at least they've earned the right to enjoy the ride for as long as it lasts.
Next up, the Buccaneers will travel to the Motor City to take on the new-look Detroit Lions next Sunday at Ford Field in the Divisional Round Playoff.
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