Buccaneers dramatic last-second victory over Texans was a signature moment

The Buccaneers’ offense struggled mightily for most of Monday night’s primetime showdown against the Texans.

With All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs sidelined by injury and right tackle Luke Goedeke exiting early with a foot injury, Tampa Bay was forced to rely on a makeshift offensive line against arguably the league’s best defensive front — a tall task for any team, but especially for a team without its starting offensive tackles.

After opening the game strong with two consecutive touchdown drives, Tampa Bay went scoreless on their next seven drives with six punts — including a blocked one — and a missed field goal. 

But none of that mattered when Baker Mayfield got the ball back in his hands with a chance to win the game in the final two minutes.

Baker Mayfield comes through in the clutch with late-game heroics

Down 19-14 with 2:10 remaining, Mayfield put on a clinic en route to a comeback victory. On 4th-and-10, Tampa Bay had their backs against the wall and were down to their final play, and Mayfield miraculously escaped the pressure and ran for 15 yards to keep the game alive. 

When it was crunch time, Mayfield appeared unphased by the struggles of the offense and the offensive line woes that had plagued the unit throughout the game. 

Mayfield went seven-for-nine for 63 passing yards along with his 15-yard fourth-down rush on the final drive to set up a game-winning touchdown run for Rachaad White to win the game 20-19.

Mayfield continues to take his game to another level when it matters most, leading a game-winning drive in back-to-back weeks to kick off the 2025 season. 

The Buccaneers would love to take control of games earlier and avoid having every game come down to the wire, but still, it’s comforting knowing that they have such a clutch quarterback at the helm for when these situations arise.