TAMPA, Fla. — From the first day Todd Bowles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took the field for training camp, few outside the organization have given them much of a chance this season.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield was on his fourth team in 19 months, trying to fill the enormous shoes of the recently retired Tom Brady. The roster lacked familiar names from the Bucs’ 2020 Super Bowl season and instead featured unproven youth at some of those key spots. Oddsmakers had predicted that Bowles could be among the first NFL coaches fired this season. The Bucs have never had that championship feel, at least not to outsiders.
So, it was no surprise early last week when, despite defying expectations by winning the NFC South, Tampa Bay was classified by Las Vegas as a home underdog for its NFC wild-card matchup with a team in difficulties of the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Buccaneers simply shrugged off the disrespect, then attacked the Eagles with a vengeance Monday night at Raymond James Stadium.
Thanks to an aggressive defensive performance and a gutsy performance by Mayfield, the Buccaneers beat Philadelphia 32–9 to advance to the divisional round of the playoffs. Tampa Bay will travel to Detroit for a game Sunday afternoon against the Lions, who are riding high after beating the LA Rams for their first playoff win in 32 years.
“The underdog doesn’t bother us,” linebacker Shaquil Barrett said. “We know our capabilities in the locker room, regardless of what is expected or what people think will happen in the game. We always come in thinking we have a great chance of winning the game. So, people saw us as the underdogs tonight, and we know they’ll see us as the underdogs going into Detroit, but we know we have to keep doing the same things.

GO DEEPER
The Buccaneers end up defeating the Eagles in an NFC wild card matchup
It’s often said that teams take on the personalities of their strongest leaders, and the Buccaneers are no different. Players will readily admit that they are a mix of Bowles and Mayfield.
Bowles, the second-year coach, is stoic and resolute but also intensely competitive. The former defender is calculated but very aggressive. Mayfield, meanwhile, is so unapologetically himself. At times he is brash, always fiery as an opponent and plays with the tenacity of a central defender.
Drawing inspiration from their coach and quarterback, the Buccaneers have braced themselves against outside noise all season, most notably snapping a four-game losing streak that stretched from October into November and turned into a 1-game skid -6.
“We just stayed the course,” Barrett said. “We always knew we were a better team than the losing streak we had. … Now everything is starting to work and that’s why we stay with the program, trust the process and continue to do what you’re supposed to do. “We knew it would start working.”
Confidence grew during a four-game winning streak and a 5-1 win by the Bucs to close out the regular season by clinching the division. And the resolve remained strong this week as the Buccaneers prepared to avenge their 25-11 loss to the Eagles in Week 3.
The Buccaneers wanted to turn things around after giving up 472 total yards, including 201 on the ground, to the Eagles in that opening matchup. Mission accomplished. On Monday night, it was the Buccaneers who amassed 426 total yards and 23 first downs, converting 6 of 14 third-down attempts. They held the Eagles to 276 yards (just 42 rushing yards) and 0 of 9 on third down.
Bowles and his defense delivered a signature performance by eliminating the threat of the Eagles rushing attack. They forced quarterback Jalen Hurts to beat them with a shorthanded wide receiver unit while also nursing a painful and slowly healing dislocated middle finger on his throwing hand.
Making the Eagles one-dimensional allowed Bowles to put together one heavyweight package after another. Hurts (sacked three times, including a safety) and his teammates and coaches never figured out how to adapt.
ELEVEN AGAIN, HOW DO YOU FEEL BUCS FANS?! 😱
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Linebacker Devin White said the Bucs defense came into the game “with a dominant mentality. We wanted to attack them immediately and beat them. I think it was the preparation. That played an important role and arriving here with a winning attitude.”
Offensive players drew fuel from those defensive heroics, as well as inspiration from Mayfield. The quarterback was so battered and bruised from rib and ankle injuries that he brought in his personal physical therapist twice during the week in hopes that the extra treatment would give him a chance to play.
It worked. Mayfield passed for 337 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions while also scrambling for 16 yards on two carries. Mayfield became only the second Buccaneers quarterback (Brady being the other) to pass for 300 yards or more in a playoff game.
“I gutted it,” Bowles said. “I mean, if you watched him during the week, he was cleaning around, not training and getting a little better every day. …I never batted an eye (Monday). “He made one work after another.”
I cooked. 👨🍳
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Tight end Cade Otton, who had a team-high eight receptions for 89 yards, said the Bucs as a team take on Mayfield’s character.
“It’s just a matter of observing his actions. The way he plays, the way he trains, the way he leads, he’s very genuine and he’s always competing,” Otton said. “He wants to win, but he also wants camaraderie with us. “He is simply a fantastic person to have as a leader of our team.”
“He’s a dog,” left tackle Tristan Wirfs said. “He IS a super tough guy and an incredible competitor. He did everything he could to be out there with us. “He IS just amazing to see.”
The Buccaneers indicated Mayfield was questionable entering the game, but the quarterback said there was never a possibility in his mind that he wouldn’t play Monday night.
“We worked really hard to have a chance to be in the playoffs and we just wanted an opportunity and our guys came out and played really, really well,” said Mayfield, whose three touchdown passes went for 44, 56 and 23 yards. “Special teams, defense: again… we’re happy, but we still have a lot to do.”
The redemption tour continues Sunday in Detroit, where the Bucs will attempt to avenge a 20-6 loss to the Lions in Week 6. Detroit is one of the early favorites with 6 and a half points, but no one in Tampa cares. Why would they, given the odds they have defended this way so far?
(Photo: Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
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