Like Luke Skywalker kept saying in The Last Jedi, Sunday did not go the way critics of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers thought it would.
After an offseason of getting dumped on following Tom Brady's retirement, the Bucs showed out -- and showed up -- in a big way against the Minnesota Vikings. It was a slow start, but Tampa Bay found a rhythm and ended up with a huge 20-17 win to start the season off on the right foot.
Baker Mayfield was a huge part of the win thanks to a gutsy performance in the second half. Specifically, Baker had two phenomenal plays on the last drive of the game to seal the victory including one where he put his body on the line to get a first down.
It was in an incredible late-game effort by the Bucs, who closed out better than we've seen them do in a while. The celebration in the locker room was euphoric, but the catharsis was evident before the team even left the field.
Buccaneers WR had the perfect celebration after upset win over Vikings
As the seconds ticked off the clock before the Buccaneers win became official, wide receiver Deven Thompkins put an exclamation point on the day with an epic celebration.
I’m not even sure how that’s possible 😂 pic.twitter.com/S2A0nodDaE
— 🏈 NFLeeds 🤍💛💙⚽️ 🇬🇧 (@NFLeeds) September 10, 2023
That rules.
Not for nothing, but Thompkins had one of the better games of his career in Week 1. For all the hype about rookies Trey Palmer and Rakim Jarrett -- and rightfully so -- Thompkins made his presence known with a pair of catches that helped the offense remain on the move and a handful of great kick returns.
The front flip was the perfect icing on the cake.
After the game, Baker Mayfield made sure to note that he thinks the offense can be better, which is exactly the type of leadership the team needs. He didn't discount the effort the unit showed, though, and the feeling of a job well done is perfectly personified in Thompkins' epic celebration.