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Emeka Egbuka Had Saddest Message After Critical Drop in Buccaneers' Upset Loss

Emeka Egbuka was unable to hold on to a game-tying touchdown.

Eva Geitheim

Emeka Egbuka reacts to his rough drop in the Buccaneers’ loss to the Saints.
Emeka Egbuka reacts to his rough drop in the Buccaneers’ loss to the Saints. / Rick Stroud.
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The Buccaneers were on the wrong side of a surprising upset on Sunday as they fell to the Saints at home 24-20. After surviving the tough stretch of their season, the Buccaneers were expected to cruise to wins against the Cardinals and Saints to maintain their division lead over the Panthers. Instead, they barely outlasted the Cardinals and lost to the Saints to fall to 7-6 on the year.

From going 3-of-13 on third down, 2-of-7 on fourth down and allowing Tyler Shough to rush for two touchdowns, there were a number of plays that caused the Buccaneers to lose to the Saints. Among those costly moments was a critical drop from rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka.

In the final seven minutes of the game, the Buccaneers were looking to respond to a go-ahead touchdown from the Saints that gave New Orleans a 24-17 lead. They had driven the football into the red zone, and quarterback Baker Mayfield threw to an open Egbuka near the end zone for what could have been a game-tying touchdown. Egbuka got his hands on the ball, but was unable to secure it. The Buccaneers ended up settling for a field goal, and were unable to score again when they got the ball back.

“It’s a huge honor to play for this team and be a part of this brotherhood,” Egbuka told reporters after the game. “I can’t help but feel I let them down today. I’m on this team for one reason and it’s to catch the ball. I didn’t.”

Mayfield extended support for the young receiver after the loss. “Emeka’s a professional. He is obviously going to beat himself up about that,” Mayfield said. “Afterwards I went up to him and told him, ‘The ball’s gonna find you again in this two-minute drive when we get it back. Gonna need you.’ It’s just the nature of the game. Telling people to catch the ball, it doesn’t do anything. They’re not trying to drop it. Just [told] him, pick his head up. Stuff happens, you gotta move forward.”

Since starting off the season hot and jumping out as the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, Egbuka’s production has waned as of late. He’s dealt with a hamstring injury, and recorded fewer than 45 receiving yards and no touchdowns in each of the last four games.

The Buccaneers’ problems, however, are far from just him. Between injuries and inconsistency on both sides of the ball, Tampa Bay has simply not been playing good football since early in the year. They still control their destiny as they look to claim their fifth consecutive AFC South title, but will have little room for error with the Panthers now tied for the division lead.

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Eva Geitheim
EVA GEITHEIM

Eva Geitheim is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in December 2024, she wrote for Newsweek, Gymnastics Now and Dodgers Nation. A Bay Area native, she has a bachelor's in communications from UCLA. When not writing, she can be found baking or re-watching Gilmore Girls.

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