Baker Mayfield’s sizzling performance carried the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 33-16 victory against the Philadelphia Eagles on a sweltering Sunday in Tampa, Fla.
Mayfield completed 30 of 47 passes for a season-high 347 yards with two touchdown passes and one TD run for the Buccaneers (3-1). Mike Evans had eight catches for 94 yards and a TD that made him the franchise’s all-time leading scorer.
Philadelphia (2-2) trailed 24-0 early and struggled without its top two receivers, A.J. Brown (hamstring) and DeVonta Smith (concussion), but now has a bye week to try and get healthy.
Jalen Hurts had a touchdown pass and a TD run and finished with 158 yards on 18-of-30 passing. He was sacked six times. Saquon Barkley, the NFL’s leading rusher entering the game, had 116 yards from scrimmage.
Tampa Bay dominated the first quarter, outgaining the Eagles 186-0 and building a 14-0 lead on a couple of Mayfield touchdown passes: 2 yards to Evans on the game’s opening drive and 15 yards to Trey Palmer.
That score gave Evans 596 career points, breaking kicker Martin Gramatica’s team record of 592.
After a muffed punt by Eagles rookie Cooper DeJean, the lead grew to 21-0 on Mayfield’s 1-yard run on fourth down early in the second quarter.
Chase McLaughlin’s 21-yard field goal made it 24-0 before the Eagles even managed to pick up a first down.
Philadelphia finally got on the board just after the two-minute warning, with Hurts hitting Parris Campbell for a 1-yard TD on fourth down. It was the first touchdown pass allowed by the Bucs this season.
After a 59-yard burst by Barkley on the first play from scrimmage of the second half, Hurts’ 1-yard plunge pulled the Eagles within 24-14.
The Bucs answered with a 12-play drive and rookie Bucky Irving’s 1-yard TD run, but McLaughlin’s PAT was blocked by Isaiah Rodgers and returned by Kelee Ringo for two points to make it 30-16.
Following a fumble by Hurts, Tampa Bay extended the lead to 33-16 on McLaughlin’s 52-yard field goal with 12:59 to play.
–Field Level Media
