TAMPA — From the Bucs sideline and all over Tampa Bay, the reaction was basically the same. When the Jets’ Will McDonald IV leaped over Bucs long snapper Evan Deckers and blocked Chase McLaughlin’s field-goal attempt, returning it 50 yards for a go-head fourth-quarter touchdown, Todd Bowles’ initial reaction wasn’t much different than anyone else’s.
TAMPA — From the Bucs sideline and all over Tampa Bay, the reaction was basically the same.
When the Jets’ Will McDonald IV leaped over Bucs long snapper Evan Deckers and blocked Chase McLaughlin’s field-goal attempt, returning it 50 yards for a go-head fourth-quarter touchdown, Todd Bowles’ initial reaction wasn’t much different than anyone else’s.
Profane if not profound, he summarized it this way:
“My thoughts when they were running for a touchdown? Excuse my language, like you’ve got to be f--king s---ting me,” Bowles said. “Then after that, see how much time on the clock and you calm down and try to win the game.”
Until that point, McLaughlin had been having a pretty redemptive day. He had made all four field-goal tries and both extra points, atoning for his three missed kicks in the first two games of the season.
And to be honest, the block wasn’t on McLaughlin.
“All these guys in this league are athletic, and we’ve just got to do a better job of noting that before the kick happens,” said Deckers. “I got to get my head up. The guards have got to get their head up.”
But McLaughlin knows what happens when Baker Mayfield has time on the clock. For the third time in as many games, the quarterback piloted the Bucs to a game-winning score late in the fourth, capped Sunday by McLaughlin’s 36-yard field goal as time expired in a 29-27 win over the Jets.
The victory improved the Bucs to 3-0 for the first time since 2005 and they did it by becoming the first NFL team since 1970 to win their first three games with go-ahead scores in the final minute of each.
“Three and 0 is important,” said Bowles. “It’s important to win in this league. A lot of teams are crying because they lost close games. We lost some last year. We’re winning them this year, so we’re extremely happy about that.”
No one was likely more relieved than McLaughlin, who was off to a shaky start with two missed field goals and an extra point in wins over Atlanta and Houston.
On Sunday, he had already connected on field goal tries of 54, 33, 28 and 55 yards when he lined up for a 43-yarder with the Bucs leading 26-20 at the two-minute warning. Then came the block.
“I had no doubt,” McLaughlin said. “I came off the field and I told (punter) Riley (Dixon), ‘Hey, we’re going to get another shot at this. There’s no problem. Forget about the last play.’ We just had complete confidence in Baker and the offense to get us in range.”
Is there a better quarterback in a two-minute drill than Mayfield right now? He finished 19 of 29 passing for 233 yards and a touchdown. But when you back him in a corner with the clock winding down, he’s at his most dangerous.
Mayfield began with a 28-yard pass to rookie Emeka Egbuka, and another deep shot was ruled out of bounds. He then hit Sterling Shepard for 20 more before centering the ball for McLaughlin.
Kickers go bad all the time in the NFL. There’s no rhyme or reason for it sometimes.
But McLaughlin has been exceptional since coming to Tampa Bay, missing only two field-goal attempts in each of the past two seasons.
McLaughlin said he was appreciative that the Bucs didn’t work out a kicker last week amid his slump.
“I think the biggest thing was seeing the confidence of the team in me,” he said. “The first two weeks didn’t go as we had hoped or planned for.”
Deckers said McLaughlin had a couple of difficult weeks.
“It is tough on him,” Deckers said. “Chase and I are the best friends in the world. I go over to his house all the time and hang out. The funny thing is, he never changes a thing. He’s the epitome of process. He does the same thing. The same kicks. He knows before the week what days he’s kicking. He knows what he’s kicking, he knows where he’s kicking. He just didn’t change.
“In the specialist world, you miss and it’s a miss. You’re good enough to where the next ball that’s snapped, chances are it’s going in, especially with that guy.”
The Bucs should have cruised in this game. Despite playing with third-string guards Luke Haggard and Elijah Klein. Despite the fact that each had two holding penalties as part of a flag fest in which the Bucs were penalized a whopping 14 times for 124 yards.
The defense played well. It sacked Tyrod Taylor four times. The Bucs had nine tackles for loss. They forced their first two turnovers of the year — a forced fumble by Antoine Winfield Jr. and an interception that Jamel Dean returned 55 yards for a touchdown as the first half ended with the Bucs up 20-6.
“The defense played lights out for us,” Mayfield said. “We’ve just got to capitalize in the red zone and score touchdowns more.”
It certainly doesn’t get easier. The Bucs host the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles next Sunday. They could be without receiver Mike Evans (hamstring).
“I think Todd said it best after this game: ‘It doesn’t matter how you win in this league, as long as you get a win,’ ” McLaughlin said. ”And being 3-0 feels really good."
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Category: General Sports
