Well, it happened again – another walk-off win.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers escaped Seattle last Sunday with a 38-35 win, in what was an incredible game.
Both teams wore their throwback uniforms as each franchise celebrated their 50th NFL season.
The Seahawks were kitted out in royal blue and silver, while Tampa Bay broke out their white creamsicle uniforms again.
A strong start on offense
The game started off well for the Bucs, racking up points on multiple drives.
These included a Rachaad White rushing touchdown to put the Bucs up 13-0. White did well to cover for the injured Bucky Irving, as the Bucs injury list gets longer and longer every week.
The Bucs forced two turnovers in this game, including a fumble early on that was turned into a Bucs touchdown.
However, the Tampa Bay defense was extremely poor. They allowed Seattle to convert on six of nine third downs, and even on a fourth down for a touchdown.
An even contest
At 13-7 at halftime, the Bucs seemed in control. This illusion was shattered on the first drive of the second half. Seattle cut through the Bucs defense with a 36-yard pass and a 31-yard run.
The teams then traded blows, taking the Bucs ahead 21-14. Baker Mayfield found Emeka Egbuka on a 20-yard pass, and the rookie also hauled in the two-point conversion.
This bold and aggressive call from head coach Todd Bowles relatively early in the game is the kind of coaching I like to see.
After some to-ing and fro-ing in an impressively even matchup, the score was tied at 35-35 with Seattle in possession.
The killer blow
Up to this point, the defense had been poor all afternoon. They had allowed five touchdowns, failed to make almost any stops and allowed huge chunk plays.
But, on the final play, the defense finally made a big move.
In a bizarre turn of events, Sam Darnold’s pass crashed off a helmet and landed in the arms of Bucs legend Lavonte David, who went to ground with the ball.
After running down the clock, the Bucs hit a game-winning field goal as time expired, for the fourth time this season!
It seems that the Bucs will not allow me to have a stress-free Sunday this season.
How this team stands
Egbuka is a sensation and Baker is an MVP favourite. The offense is no longer just purring, it is roaring.
The defense however, is poor. They could not stop a nosebleed on Sunday and, even though they had two turnovers, they also allowed five successive touchdown drives.
The unit is just not good enough at the moment, and they need to step up if the Bucs are to make any waves this season.
This game was the first of a difficult stretch of games for Tampa, starting with an equally injury-ridden San Francisco 49ers team this weekend.
