Where has this offense been all season?
We saw it in the season’s first month as the Buccaneers went on the road and earned a hard-fought 20-17 win over the Minnesota Vikings.
They then put up 27 at home against the Chicago Bears in a 27-17 win.
But in the last three weeks, this Bucs offense has scored 93 points, averaging 31 points a game.
Sunday afternoon was no exception as the Buccaneers manhandled the Jacksonville Jaguars 30-12 to put themselves in position to win their third straight NFC South title at home against New Orleans next week.
Baker Mayfield Continues To Play At A High Level
Baker Mayfield continued his quest for comeback player of the year, passing for 283 yards and two touchdowns, giving him 26 on the season.
Both touchdown passes went to Mike Evans, who now has 13 touchdown catches on the season, leading the NFL.
It was a tough day for Rachaad White, who ran for just 39 yards and one touchdown. That breaks the string of four consecutive games with over 100 yards rushing for the Buccaneers.
Complimentary football seems to be the buzzword at One Bucs Place, something the Bucs have excelled at in the last two weeks to help them get into their position to win another division crown.
Neither team could run the ball with any authority, as the Bucs defense held the Jaguars to just 37 yards on the ground.
Defense Forces Four Jacksonville Turnovers
Defensively, it was another textbook game for the Bucs as they harassed Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence into four turnovers. The Jags could never get anything going on offense until late in the third quarter.
The Bucs’ defense forced two Lawrence fumbles, and Devin White and Antoine Winfield Jr. had interceptions to stall the Jacksonville drives.
Linebacker Devin White returned to the field with a vengeance, wreaking havoc on the Jaguars’ offense. White had the interception in the first quarter, half a sack, and two passes defended. It was one of the better efforts we have seen from White this season.
Antoine Winfield Jr. added to his resume for NFC Defensive Player of the Year, getting an interception, a fumble recovery, a tackle for loss, and a pass defensed while contributing three tackles.
It’s a disgrace that he is not garnering more votes and attention for a Pro Bowl bid.
Could YaYa Diaby Be A Candidate For DROY
Rookie YaYa Diaby continues to shine. He had 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and added five tackles. Next season, Diaby should replace Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and start at outside linebacker opposite Shaq Barrett based on his performance this season.
As I sat watching the Bucs’ domination of the Jaguars, I was taken back to 2020, Tom Brady’s first season with Tampa. The team was 7-4 at the bye week and struggled to be consistent on offense and defense.
Then, the team went on an eight-game winning streak, culminating in the franchise’s second Super Bowl Championship at Raymond James Stadium. I get the same feeling about this Buccaneers team.
Not that this team will go on a deep playoff run or win the Super Bowl, but the way this team is playing, no one wants to play the Buccaneers in the playoffs.
Baker Mayfield talked about how dangerous this team could be in the postseason. “Extremely dangerous. We had a lot of guys come back on defense, and just offensively, we continue to improve. We’re getting hot at the right time, but we can’t take that for granted. I’ve got to realize the one-game-at-a-time mentality has really been the turning point for us. That singular focus has been the edge and the intensity we’ve needed, and we’ve got to continue that.”
The Bucs have worked hard to get to this point where they control their destiny. Now, all they have to do is go out and take care of business on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.