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BY IRA KAUFMAN
It’s beginning to look like another lovely September for one of the NFL’s fastest starters.
Chalk up another 2-0 getaway for Todd Bowles as the Bucs edged Houston on the road 20-19, overcoming injuries and awful special teams play along the way.
A reshuffled offensive line suffered another blow when Luke Goedeke aggravated a foot problem and had to leave. Calijah Kancey departed with a pectoral injury, but the Bucs rallied in the final minutes for the second consecutive week.
With Tristan Wirfs and Chris Godwin slated to return in the near future, the Bucs are in good shape heading into Sunday’s home opener against the Jets, who have been outscored by 22 points during an 0-2 start.
Buckyball on display.
A ground game that went nowhere in Atlanta found its footing Monday night as Bucky Irving and Rachaad White took turns torching the Texans behind robust blocking up front.
A prolonged slumber by the offense ended when Baker Mayfield directed the winning march, capped by White’s 2-yard TD run with only six seconds remaining.
Players from both sides dropped easy interceptions and for the second consecutive week, the Bucs had no giveaways and no takeaways. The biggest takeaway? Opposing defenses are asking for trouble when Mayfield has the ball with a chance to win with a late drive.
Somehow, some way, he wills the Bucs to victory. He uses his arm, his feet and, most of all, his competitive fire to inspire teammates.
After Mayfield’s early TD passes to Ryan Miller and Emeka Egbuka, the next seven Buc possessions ended with five punts, a missed field goal and a blocked punt.
But when the Texans went ahead on Nick Chubb’s 25-yard scoring run, Mayfield shook off the bad vibes. His 15-yard scramble on fourth-and-10 extended the game-winning drive. He finished with 33 rushing yards, with each of his three carries generating a first down.
That’s a big-time effort.
Here’s how the Bucs exhibited their poise before a prime-time national audience:
The running game returned with Graham Barton and Michael Jordan helping lead the way.
* While Irving rushed for 71 yards and caught all six passes sent his way for another 50 yards, it was White who ran through tacklers with power in a dynamic performance. That’s the kind of potent ground game the Bucs displayed last season while averaging 29.5 points per game.
* Few teams can match Houston’s pair of edge rushers and the Texans dropped Mayfield four times, but the run blocking was stout. Once again, Ben Bredeson did a nice job anchoring the line while playing out of position.
* Chase McLaughlin, so reliable in 2024, is off to a miserable start. He missed a routine field goal try and an extra point at Atlanta, and he misfired on a 38-yard FG attempt tonight against the Texans. Tampa Bay also suffered a blocked punt and allowed Jaylin Noel to rumble 53 yards with a punt return. Had the Bucs lost this game, all arrows would have been pointed at special teams.
* Although Chubb found a big hole off the right side for Houston’s go-ahead score, Tampa Bay’s rush defense was stout once again. Before Chubb’s 25-yard scamper, he and Jo’quavious Marks had combined for only 32 yards on 14 carries.
* On a night Tampa Bay’s offense struggled for most of the final three quarters, the defense came up huge in some key moments. The Texans had three cracks from the 1-yard line and couldn’t get in. After Houston smothered a Riley Dean punt at the Tampa Bay 35 in the fourth quarter, the Texans had to settle for a field goal that left them behind 14-13.
* The Bucs received some gifts from the undisciplined Texans as four of their 25 first downs came courtesy of Houston penalties. Between the yellow flags and Houston’s uninspired offense, no wonder the boo birds came out in force at NRG Stadium.
* It was all hands on deck for the visitors as Teddy Bridgewater was the only suited Buccaneer who didn’t play.
* When Bowles looks at the film, he’ll see his defense is still being exploited by running backs in the flats. Bijan Robinson caught six passes for 100 yards in Atlanta, including a 50-yard TD. On Monday nght, Chubb and Marks combined for three catches for 66 yards.
* Irving was masterful on the final drive, turning a routine flip from Mayfield into a scintillating 22-yard gain as he eluded five onrushing tacklers. It was vintage Irving, who returned to form after a pedestrian opener against the Falcons.
* The Bucs have won five of their last six regular-season road games and they were the better team for most of Monday’s matchup. They’ve got a shot to open the season 4-0 before heading to Seattle — with Wirfs likely cleared to return at left tackle. The more they win, the less pressure the Bucs will face to hurry Wirfs and Godwin back. Memo to Bowles’ detractors: Tampa Bay has won 17 of its last 25 regular-season games.
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