Detroit, MI — In a closely fought playoff rematch, Baker Mayfield demonstrated his dual-threat capabilities by running and throwing for touchdowns, leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 20-16 victory over the Detroit Lions.
Late in the third quarter, Mayfield executed a decisive 11-yard touchdown run, evading defenders to give the Bucs a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. This came shortly after he converted a crucial third down with another 11-yard scramble.
“I didn’t expect to score from that far out, but I made a few guys miss,” Mayfield said, reflecting on what was a career-long rushing touchdown.
The Buccaneers (2-0) showed resilience throughout, trailing only once. They stymied Detroit’s (1-1) attempts to mount a comeback, stopping the Lions twice in the final minutes. Detroit failed to convert on a fourth down at the Bucs’ 6-yard line with 53 seconds remaining and again at their own 26 with two seconds left.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell expressed regret over a crucial mistake in the first half. A miscommunication led to both the offense and special teams being on the field simultaneously, resulting in a penalty that ran out the clock and wiped out a chance for a short field goal. This field goal could have brought Detroit within four points.
“I asked my team to improve, and they did. But I cost them the game,” Campbell said, clearly upset. “That was a massive error on my part. I messed up.”
Had the Lions converted that field goal, they might have been in a better position to win with another kick in the fourth quarter.
“That was fortunate for us,” Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles acknowledged.
Detroit quarterback Jared Goff had a challenging game, throwing two interceptions and narrowly avoiding two more that were dropped by defenders. Goff finished with 34 completions on 55 attempts for 307 yards, but the Lions struggled in the red zone, converting just 1 of 7 opportunities.
“That’s the difference in the game,” Goff said. “If we score a few touchdowns down there, we probably win. We fought hard, but we made too many mistakes.”
Mayfield, however, was efficient, completing 12 of 19 passes for 185 yards, including a crucial 41-yard touchdown pass to Chris Godwin in the second quarter. He also contributed 35 rushing yards on four carries. Godwin was a standout performer with seven catches for 117 yards.
The Lions had beaten Tampa Bay twice the previous season, including a 31-23 divisional-round playoff win and a 20-6 regular-season victory. However, they couldn’t capitalize on key moments at Ford Field this time, leaving Campbell and his team looking for answers.
“It’s huge for us to come together and get a different result than last time,” Mayfield said after the game.
Bowles, pleased with the win, anticipates the possibility of facing the Lions again in the postseason.
“If we get to January, I’m sure they’ll be there,” Bowles said.
Detroit’s only touchdown came late in the third quarter when David Montgomery scored on a 1-yard run, briefly giving the Lions the lead.
Defensive standout Aidan Hutchinson was a force for Detroit, recording five sacks, including three in the first quarter alone.
“We tried everything—chipping him, double-teaming—but he made life difficult for us,” Bowles admitted.
Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown also had an impressive game, with 11 receptions for 119 yards, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the team’s costly mistakes.
