Bucs Sail Past Eagles, Advance to Divisional Round

Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Bucs walked off the field a year ago today after a Wildcard Round loss to the Cowboys, ending his final season in the league.

Baker Mayfield joined the team last offseason as Brady’s replacement and the sky-high standards he left behind. With a 32-9 win against the Eagles, Mayfield continued the team’s history of playoff success. Now, the Bucs stare down the Cinderella-story Detroit Lions who just won their first postseason game since 1992.

Going Into the Game

Halfway through the Eagles’ season, the team seemed destined for greatness, trampling their opponents to earn an almost-undefeated record. On Monday night, the team’s hopes ended like the way the second half of the season started: struggling to push across points and unable to stop offensive drives.

Head coach Nick Sirianni spoke about the team’s struggles in the postgame press conference:

On the other hand, the Bucs’ season started and stopped multiple times this year. They entered Week 5 with a 3-1 record, but their win streak transformed into a losing stretch. By Week 12, the team was 4-7. But, they solved their struggles, entering the post-season with a 9-8 record.

Keys to Success

Key players like running back Rachaad White and kicker Chase McLaughlin were instrumental to the team’s win. White had six rushing first downs and an average of 4.0 yards over his 18 carries. McLaughlin scored 12 of the team’s 32 points. Moreover, two out of the night’s three field goals were from more than 45 yards.

The defense shut down Jalen Hurts, allowing only one field goal and one touchdown. Overall, they had three sacks that amounted for 16 yards and one forced fumble. While the Eagles offense had slumped over the last few regular season games, the Buccaneers shut down the once productive offense.

While Hurts struggled, Mayfield produced three touchdowns. In 22 completions out of 36 attempts, he had 337 passing yards. He also didn’t throw any interceptions, a stark contrast from the 10 interceptions he threw during the regular season.

The quarterback discussed his team’s resilience in the postgame press conference:

We got more football to play 🙌

🎉: @BudLight #EasyToCelebrate pic.twitter.com/TqWEnUCvYz

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) January 16, 2024

Moving On

Looking ahead, Tampa has to face Detroit on Sunday afternoon at 3. Mayfield discussed the team’s efforts to get to the playoffs:

In the regular season, they lost to the Lions 20-6. Further adding to the Bucs’ problems, the game will be played in Ford Field in front of a win-hungry Detroit crowd. However, the Bucs have faced adversity with their backs against the wall and succeeded. So, if they are able to repeat their success, the game should be competitive.

Happy but not satisfied 😤#RaiseTheFlags pic.twitter.com/Yq9OWwkjpA

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) January 16, 2024