Buccaneers use late heroics to beat Texans

HOUSTON — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0) edged the Houston Texans (0-2) 20-19 in a Monday night thriller.

For the second straight week, the Buccaneers trailed late before quarterback Baker Mayfield and the offense delivered in the clutch. With six seconds left, running back Rachaad White powered into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.

After a scoreless third quarter, the fourth featured a series of swings. Houston opened the quarter with a 71-yard drive to Tampa Bay’s 1-yard line, but the Buccaneers’ defense stood tall, stuffing three straight plays to force a turnover on downs.

On Tampa Bay’s next series, punter Riley Dixon — in his first season with the Bucs — had a punt blocked by Texans fullback Jakob Johnson. Houston converted the short field into a 53-yard field goal by Ka’imi Fairbairn, cutting the Bucs’ lead to 14-13.

On the next drive, Houston forced another punt. This time Dixon got it away, but wide receiver Jaylin Noel burned Tampa Bay with a 53-yard return. Two plays later, Nick Chubb broke free for a 25-yard touchdown run to give the Texans a 19-14 lead. Their two-point try failed.

For the second straight week, Mayfield delivered late heroics. On fourth-and-10, he scrambled for 15 yards to keep the drive alive, then completed five consecutive passes to the 2-yard line before White finished it off with the winning score.

The win marked Tampa Bay’s first against Houston since 2003. The last time the teams met in 2023, the Texans scored a game-winning touchdown with six seconds left. This time, it was the Bucs celebrating at the final horn.

Mayfield went 25-of-38 for 215 yards and two touchdowns. He notched his 12th career fourth-quarter comeback and surpassed 25,000 passing yards.

Tampa Bay’s ground game fueled the offense, piling up 169 yards at 5.6 yards per carry. The backfield duo of White and rookie Bucky Irving led the way. White ran for 65 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, while Irving added 71 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards, including a pivotal 22-yard catch on the final drive.

The Bucs have rushed for at least 100 yards in 10 straight games, the NFL’s longest active streak.

The offense started hot, scoring on its first two possessions. Rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka caught a 15-yard touchdown, his third of the season, tying Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown for the league lead. Ryan Miller added a 20-yard scoring grab.

But protection was an issue all night. Houston recorded four sacks and 20 quarterback hurries, with veteran Danielle Hunter getting two sacks. Injuries compounded the problem: All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs missed his second straight game, and right tackle Luke Goedeke re-aggravated a foot injury in the first quarter. Center Graham Barton shifted to left tackle, while Charlie Heck filled in on the right side. Both struggled, finishing with Pro Football Focus grades of 48.7 and 30.4, respectively.

Tampa Bay’s defense, meanwhile, gave up a touchdown on the opening drive for the second straight week but locked in afterward. The Texans were limited to 84 rushing yards, marking the 11th consecutive game the Bucs have held opponents under 100 on the ground. Tampa Bay also had three sacks, including the first career sacks for rookie end Elijah Roberts and second-year safety Tykee Smith. Houston converted just 2-of-9 third downs.

Veteran linebacker Lavonte David played his 200th game as a Buccaneer. David recorded 2 tackles, a sack and a pass breakup.

Defensive tackle Calijah Kancey left in the second quarter with a shoulder injury. He was seen in a sling afterward, and coach Todd Bowles said the injury “has a chance to be serious.”

Special teams proved shaky. In addition to the blocked punt, kicker Chase McLaughlin missed a 38-yard attempt and has now missed two field goals and an extra point this season. McLaughlin only missed 2 field goals in last season’s entirety.

Still, the Bucs held on for their second straight one-score victory after going 2-6 in such games last season.

“We talk about culture, and culture helps you win ballgames, especially on the road,” Bowles said.

The win snapped an 0-5 primetime skid from last season and marked Mayfield’s first regular-season primetime victory as Tampa Bay’s starter.

Tampa Bay has started 2-0 in each of Bowles’ four seasons but has lost in Week 3 each time.

The Buccaneers will try to buck that trend in their home opener next Sunday against Todd Bowles’ old team, the New York Jets. They will wear all-white “creamsicle” throwbacks to commemorate the franchise’s 50th season. Kickoff is 1 p.m.