The Bucs are back in the win column.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the New York Giants 30-9 this Sunday, taking a big step towards the playoffs.
After four losses in a row, the Bucs needed a win to get back on track. On Sunday they got just that.
Coming into this game, the Giants had the best pass rush defence in the NFL, with 36 sacks.
Against the Bucs, the Giants failed to register a single sack, as the Bucs offensive line kept the pocket clean for Baker Mayfield.
Speaking of Mayfield, he had the offence firing on all cylinders. He truly is a fantastic player. Baker threw for 294 yards as well as having a rushing touchdown.
If anyone questions his mentality, go watch the fourth quarter.
Up by 30 points, running back Bucky Irving broke free for a 56-yard run. Where was Mayfield in all this? At midfield throwing blocks for his running back.
Irving had himself another great game – as did the trifecta of Bucs running backs. Irving, Rachaad White and Sean Tucker all rushed for a touchdown against the Giants.
Tampa’s running game has come a long way since last season, and is something they can finally rely on.
On the other side of the ball the defence was much improved this weekend, as they allowed just seven total points. They were also able to sack Tommy DeVito on four occasions.
This staunch defensive performance is encouraging, as the defence had been poor this season.
For all the positives, however, there were a few areas of concern on Sunday.
Conservative calls and fumbled balls
Early in the second quarter, the Bucs found themselves at the four-yard line of the Giants.
Instead of going for the touchdown, Todd Bowles once again elected to kick a field goal. This has happened many times in 2024.
Against a better team – or if the defense is struggling – Bowles will need to take more risks to get more points.
The other issue was ball security – which needs to be addressed on Monday at practice.
The Bucs fumbled the ball four times in this game! Only one was recovered by the Giants, which limited the damage it could have caused.
Sunday’s win has helped the Bucs’ chances of making the playoffs, improving from around 28% to 46%.
They could still do it, this was an important step, but there is a long way to go.
