Buccaneers defeat Jets 29-27 with last minute field goal

John Romano, Tampa Bay Times on Sep 21, 2025

Published in Football

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TAMPA, Fla. — So maybe they wobble. And perhaps they waver.

But for the first time in 20 years, the Buccaneers are undefeated three weeks into the season and, honestly, it’s even more impressive than it looks.

Overcoming penalties, injuries and a questionable replay review on a fourth-quarter touchdown, the Bucs hung on to beat the Jets 29-27 on Sunday in their home opener at Raymond James Stadium.

It took another last-minute, game-winning drive from Baker Mayfield and the offense with Chase McLaughlin kicking a 36-yard field goal as the clock expired.

Just minutes earlier, McLaughlin had a chance to put the game out of reach but another field-goal attempt was blocked and returned 50 yards for a touchdown by Will McDonald to give New York a 27-26 lead with 1:49 remaining.

But, as he did against the Falcons and Texans in the first two weeks, Mayfield was masterful in the final moments, completing 28- and 20-yard passes to rookie Emeka Egbuka to move into field-goal range.

It wasn’t all rainbows and ice cream, however, for the Bucs. Receiver Mike Evans left the game in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury, which just adds to a massive list of injury problems on offense.

Play of the day

Things were still a little uncomfortable late in the first half. The Jets had just forced Tampa Bay to punt and had a chance to tie the score in the final minute when Tyrod Taylor tried to hit Garrett Wilson on the sideline. Jamel Dean had overrun his coverage of Wilson, but recovered and came back to cut in front of the receiver for the interception and a 55-yard return for a touchdown. The Bucs went up 20-6 and it was never really in doubt after that.

Game ball

We’ve bemoaned the absence of Chris Godwin. We’ve gushed about the emergence of Emeka Egbuka. We’ve panicked at the sight of Evans limping. Do you know which receiver we haven’t talked about enough? Sterling Shepard. Mayfield’s former teammate at Oklahoma has been a steady presence since Godwin went down last season and on Sunday he had one of his best games in years. Sheppard had his biggest receiving day in years with 80 yards on four receptions.

Keep an eye on

See above. If Tampa Bay’s offense wasn’t banged up enough, the sight of Evans limping off the field and into the locker room in the fourth quarter was enough to cause heart palpitations. Anybody know if Antonio Brown is wearing a shirt this week?

NFC update

Three weeks into the season, the Bucs already have a two-game lead in the division. And Tampa Bay fans have Dave Canales and the Panthers to thank for that. The former Bucs offensive coordinator got what may be his biggest victory as a head coach against the Falcons on Sunday. The Bucs are the only team in the South with a winning record.

Up next

Any chance the Bucs can forfeit next week? I mean, it doesn’t seem likely that they’re going to beat the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles while half the team is lined up outside the doctor’s office. For the sake of the 13 games that follow, it almost seems safer to keep everybody at home on the couch.

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