Bucs Dominate Jaguars to Deliver a Happy Holiday Season The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' stars came out on Christmas Eve, and the result was a dominant 30-12 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday. The Buccaneers are now within one win of clinching a third straight division title after their fourth straight victory. Mike Evans caught two touchdown passes, safety Antoine Winfield Jr. paced a swarming defense with a sack, an interception and a fumble recovery and Baker Mayfield turned in his second straight over-the-top performance as the Buccaneers built a 30-0 lead with four minutes left in the third quarter. Mayfield completed 26 of 35 passes for 283 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. "Huge complementary football," said Head Coach Todd Bowles. "It's the kind of football you want to play in December. The defense got turnovers, the offense cashed in. We kept the ball for most of the first half, gave the defense a rest, and they played good football." Added Mayfield: "We've been taking the single-game mindset, one game at a time, and that was a big one. Coach talked about that, that was the message. Obviously we'd like to finish better, we'd like to put them away a little bit more, a few too many negative plays in the second half. But overall, complementary football there in the first half, which allowed us to jump out to a huge lead." The Buccaneers improved to 8-7, getting back above .500 for the first time since Week Five and rebounding in impressive fashion after losing six of seven at midseason. Sunday's win, coupled with the New Orleans Saints' loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night, gave the Bucs a one-game lead in the NFC South over the Saints and Atlanta Falcons, both 7-8, with two weeks to go in the regular season. Tampa Bay can sew up the division with a win in either of its last two games, beginning with a head-to-head matchup with the Saints in Tampa next Sunday. "It says a lot about the group that we have, about the coaches that haven't wavered on the plans, haven't wavered on the foundation of our system," said Mayfield. "But then the guys trust it at the same time. The run game's come along, the pass game has obviously improved. It says a lot about the group that we have that they've gone through a big rough patch there in the midseason. To stick it out and win four in a row, to be in control of our own destiny at this point, is great. It says a lot about the character we have." Tampa Bay's defense forced four turnovers and scored touchdowns after three of them, with LB Devin White intercepting Trevor Lawrence on Jacksonville's first drive and rookie OLB Yaya Diaby forcing and recovering a fumble in the second quarter. Diaby finished the game with 1.5 sacks and two tackles for loss. The Bucs sacked Lawrence three times and held him to 17 of 29 passing for 211 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions and a 64.0 passer rating. Running back Travis Etienne, who came into the league ranked fifth among all NFL running backs in yards from scrimmage, was held to 12 yards on six carries and 19 yards on three receptions. "We executed all-around," said Winfield. "We just have to continue to do that more. We knew what type of game it was going to be and we just came here and executed tonight. It's all about clicking at the right time. I feel like those few weeks right there when we had some losses you really find out a lot about the team. Right now, our goal is just to continue to get better every week. It's playoff mode every week. It's win or go home, and that's our mentality." Diaby, a third-round draft pick, now has 6.5 sacks on the season, the third most by a rookie in franchise history. "He's settling in," said Bowles. "He's feeling comfortable. We kind of let him go a little bit and he's adding the tools that he had in college and he's making this his own." A week after becoming the first visiting quarterback in the history of the NFL to record a perfect passer rating in a game at Lambeau Field, Mayfield once again directed a wide-ranging offensive attack that saw four different players catch at least four passes. Evans led the way with 86 yards and those two scores on seven grabs, while Chris Godwin added six catches for 78 yards and repeatedly moved the chains on third down. Running back Rachaad White had 77 yards from scrimmage and scored for the eighth time his last eight games. The Buccaneers converted on 10 of their 19 third-down attempts. "He's been outstanding," said Bowles of Mayfield. "That's what you want from your quarterback in December. When you're trying to make a push and your quarterback is playing great, it gives you a chance." When the Buccaneers' offense didn't get the ball into the end zone, kicker Chase McLaughlin continued to be automatic on field goal tries. He made all three of his attempts, with a long of 51 yards, and is now 26 of 28 on the season. That 92.9% success rate is currently tied for the team's single-season record, set by Connor Barth in 2011. The Buccaneers thoroughly dominated the first half and took a 20-0 lead into the intermission, marking the first time this season they pitched a first-half shutout. The Bucs gained 224 yards and 15 first downs to 84 and six for the Jaguars and converted five of nine third-down tries. Tampa Bay's defense also forced the only turnovers of the first half and the offense drove for touchdowns after both of them. The Bucs had the ball first after a touchback and a first-play tunnel screen to WR Trey Palmer was well-blocked, leading to an eight-yard gain. Mayfield looked for an open man for a long time on second-and-two but couldn't get a pass off before being sacked for a loss of five. He kept the drive moving on third-down with a pass over the middle to Palmer, who briefly retreated behind the line to gain but was able to get around left end for a pickup of 18. Three plays later, Mayfield threw a screen out to the left to White, who was able to fight through a tackle and extend the ball over the line to gain for a first down at the Jacksonville 44. Two White runs up the gut made it third-and-seven and Mayfield converted that one too with a beautiful pass to Godwin on a corner route for a gain of 22. White then fought through two defenders on a counter right to rush for 11 and make it first-and-goal at the eight. A run and a catch by White set up yet another third down, this one six yards from the goal line. Mayfield had a lane to get the ball to Godwin at the front of the end zone but the ball was batted down at the line by DE Adam Gotsis. McLaughlin opened the scoring with a 24-yard field goal. Jamal Agnew took the ensuing kickoff at the goal line and was able to get it out to the Jacksonville 32. Barrett stopped Etienne on first down for no gain and his second run got four before he ran into Vita Vea. Lawrence moved the sticks with an 11-yard pass to TE Evan Engram and then a short pass into the right flat to Etienne was good for 11 more to the Bucs' 42. A botched exchanged between Lawrence and RB D'Ernest Johnson led to a loose ball and a loss of five, and a deep shot to WR Tim Jones was out of reach down the left sideline. On third-and-15, Lawrence tried to get the ball to WR Parker Washington down the left numbers but White cut in front of him to intercept the pass at the 34 and return it to the Bucs' 44. RB Chase Edmonds came in to start the Bucs' second drive and made a nice cut upfield on a stretch run right to pick up six to the midfield stripe. Evans' first catch of the game, on a quick dig over the middle made it first-and-10 at the Jacksonville five. The Bucs brought in a jumbo personnel package on the next play but it was a ruse, as Mayfield faked a handoff and fired over the middle to Evans for 19 yards to the 26. WR David Moore dragged his toes on the right sideline for a pickup of seven but Edmonds' next carry gained nothing. On third-and-three, Mayfield somehow escaped several near-sacks with a variety of spin moves and such but was stopped two yards short of the sticks. The Bucs had time to think about their fourth-and-two options as the first quarter came to an end. After the teams switched sides, the Bucs went for it on fourth down and got it on a nifty misdirection pitch play to White, who got down to the 14. Three plays later it was third down again at the 10, and this time Mayfield sprinted out of a collapsing pocket, ran straight upfield and put his head down as he met two defenders near the line to gain. His final effort got the ball to the three and made it first-and-goal. On the next play, Mayfield faked a handoff and threw wide to Evans for a three-yard touchdown on a shallow out. Lawrence got the Jaguars' next drive started with a 12-yard pass to Agnew but a blitzing David dropped Lawrence for a sack of eight yards on the next snap. Two plays later, on third-and-12, Lawrence had plenty of time to throw and eventually got one off deep down the middle of the field to WR Elijah Cooks for a big gain of 23 yards into Bucs territory. Etienne then ran twice, and a hard stop at the line by David on second down made it third-and-seven, but Cooks got wide open again and Lawrence found him on the left sideline for a gain of 13. The Jaguars then pulled out a tricky end-around pitch to WR Calvin Ridley but Diaby made an incredible diving play to trip Ridley up for a loss of 12. A dump off to Cooks in the left flat on third-and-20 didn't come close to moving the chains and the Jaguars sent out Brandon McManus to try a 52-yard field goal. He missed it wide right to keep the score at 10-0 with 6:20 left in the first half. The Bucs took over at their own 42 and two passes to White accounted for 19 yards to the Jacksonville 39. Three snaps later, on third-and-five, Mayfield tried to zip a hard line drive through traffic to Palmer but he was hit hard and the ball was jarred loose. The Bucs went for it on fourth-and-five and a deep post to Evans was broken up at the goal line by CB Tyson Campbell; however, the drive was preserved by a roughing-the-passer flag on S Andre Cisco. On first-and-10 from the 19, White ran for one yard, but a pitch left to him was completely overrun by the Jacksonville defense for a loss of two. Cade Otton caught a flare pass out to the right on third down and did his best to fight and spin move through multiple tacklers but ultimately came up three yards short. McLaughlin came on to make it 13-0 with a 31-yard field goal. The Jaguars next drive started at the Jacksonville 23 and Lawrence threw a first-down incompletion. However, a quick hit over the middle to Engram was good for 13, putting the ball at the Jacksonville 36 as the two-minute warning arrived. Two plays later, Lawrence overthrew Engram down the middle and Winfield dived to intercept it at the Bucs' 35. Mayfield threw quick passes to White and Godwin to get one first down and stop the clock at 1:25. A long out to Evans to the left sideline got 11 more to the Jaguars' 43, but a Bucs false start followed to make it first-and-15 at the 48. A pass to Godwin was broken up on first down, and Palmer made a diving catch at the sideline to make it third-and-five, sliding out of bounds with 1:12 left. Evans ran a quick slant from the left side on the next play, and got the ball for a gain of 16. Mayfield went right back to Evans on the next play and a post route to the middle of the field got the receiver in position to make a leaping catch in the end zone for a 22-yard score to make it 20-0. The Jaguars had 40 seconds left to work with, starting at their own 20. Lawrence threw his first pass at the feet of Ridley before Engram made a sliding sideline catch for seven. Winfield was part of a big blitz on third down and he got to Lawrence for an eight-yard sack. The Bucs called a timeout to see if there would be a chance at another score but punter Logan Cooke bombed a 65-yard kick and the half ended on a single kneel-down. Jacksonville started the second half with the ball, and two plays into the drive Lawrence hit Ridley down the left numbers for 24 yards. However, on the next play the pocket collapsed on Lawrence and Diaby overwhelmed him for a 10-yard sack, knocking the ball loose and falling on it at the Jaguars' 37. The Bucs faced a third-and-six moments later and Palmer made a sliding catch to just move the sticks. Rookie WR Payne Durham then ran an out-and-up and Mayfield dropped it in over his shoulder for a 25-yard gain down to the two. White ran it in on the next play to make it 27-0. Lawrence started the next drive with another pass to a free-running Ridley over the middle for 25yards to midfield. Two plays later, Washington slipped out of a tackle on a sideline pass and got upfield to the Bucs' 37. Three plays later, on third-and-eight, S Dee Delaney had tight coverage on Engram downfield and the pass was incomplete. The Jaguars went for it on fourth down but drew a delay-of-game penalty. They left the offense on the field for fourth-and-13 and Lawrence's sideline pass in Agnew's direction was too tall on the sideline. That allowed the Buccaneers to take over on downs at their own 40. Two runs by Edmonds to burn the clock only gained one yard, but Mayfield had time to throw on third-and-nine and eventually found Godwin downfield for 15 yards to the Jacksonville 44. Edmonds then ran for five and three yards, and on third-and-two Mayfield laid it out to White near the right sideline, resulting in three yards and another first down at the 33. It was quickly third down again after two White runs had a net gain of no yards, and Mayfield's third-down pass was nearly intercepted by CB Tre Herndon. McLaughlin came on to drill his third field goal of the game, a 51-yarder. With the clock below four minutes left in the third quarter, Lawrence started the next drive by evading a near-sack and rushing upfield for a gain of 15. After a nine-yard strike to Ridley, Lawrence threw his next two passes incomplete but then scrambled for the first down, diving and stretching the ball over the yard marker. After a 13-yard slant to Engram, Lawrence got free in the open field again and ran out of bounds for a first down at the Bucs' 24. On the next play, Lawrence broke out right and looked like he was going to scramble before suddenly throwing back towards the middle of the field to a wide-open Ridley for a touchdown. The Jaguars went for two but failed, leaving the score at 30-6 with 50 seconds remaining in the third period. The Bucs ran one play to end the quarter, a four-yard White rumble up the middle, but White was hit in the backfield on the first play of the next period to give those four back. A false start made it third-and-15 and a catch over the middle by Godwin was short by six yards. The Bucs punted for the first time in the game and WR David Moore trapped Agnew for a loss of four on the return. Two plays into the ensuing drive, Beathard completed a 14-yard pass to Engram but the tight end fumbled at the end of the play, forced by McCollum and recovered by Winfield at the Jacksonville 34. Mayfield had his arm hit on a first-down throw and then the Bucs committed a false start to make it second-and-15. Obviously content to drain the clock, the Bucs handed off to White for three yards on second down. Mayfield hit Evans for 10 yards on third down and the Bucs decided to go for it on fourth-and-two. A play-action rollout was well defended and Mayfield had to stop and throw in another direction, putting the ball out of Godwin's reach in the end zone. The Jaguars got the ball back at their 27 with 11:30 left and CB Jamel Dean broke up a first-down pass intended for Ridley. A blitzing White then dropped Ridley for a sack but the play was erased by a puzzling roughing-the-passer penalty. In a hurry-up attack, Beathard completed his next three passes to get the ball down to the Buccaneers' 23. A sideline pass to Jones two plays later made it first-and-goal at the 10, and an incompletion stopped the clock with 9:13 left. Beathard threw out of the back of the end zone on second down and was sacked by Diaby for a loss of nine. The Jaguars went for it on fourth down and McCollum broke up the pass in the end zone, nearly intercepting it. The Bucs got the ball at their 19 but Mayfield was sacked on second down back at the seven. The drive ended quickly and Camarda had to punt for a second time. Jacksonville got the ball back at its own 49 with 5:45 to go. Beathard hit Engram and Ridley on successive plays to get it to the Bucs' 28, and Engram ran out of bounds at the 21 on the next play. Beathard scrambled out of bounds at the 16 on the next play. A pass interference call on the next play made it first-and-goal at the one, and an offside call cut that distance in half. Beathard threw to Ridley for the touchdown on the next snap and the subsequent two-point conversion was no good. Down 30-12 with 4:36 to play and missing one of their three timeouts, the Jaguars tried an onside kick. Moore fell on it at the Jaguars' 44. The Bucs kept it on the ground with two White runs into the teeth of the defense, and Jacksonville called a timeout at 3:48 after the second one. The Bucs threw on third-and-nine, with Mayfield hitting Godwin for 15 yards and a new set of downs. Edmonds got the next two handoffs, which gained three yards and took the clock down to the two-minute warning. Mayfield once again dropped back and looked for Godwin on third down, finding him for a 12-yard gain, effectively killing the clock. Scott Smith, Buccaneers.com, published 26 December 2023