The Tampa Bay Buccaneers looked to get back on track Sunday at Raymond James as they hosted the New York Giants. The Bucs won the toss and elected to kick off, and did so into a rain that started just moments before the opening kickoff.
The Giants lost yardage on a pair of runs to start their opening drive, before picking up just six yards on 3rd-and-18. Brad Wing has a poor punt and the Buccaneers would start their opening drive at their own 37-yard-line.
The Bucs started their offensive drive with a pair of runs as well, but Jacquizz Rodgers picked up seven yards, making for a much more manageable 3rd-and-3. The Bucs called a pitch play out of the shotgun, only picking up a yard, and forcing a punt. Ryan Smith came up with a big play on the Brian Anger punt, downing it on the Giants 3-yard-line, forcing a New York offense which has struggled early in the season to go 97 yards if they wanted to put six on the board.
A Will Gholston offsides penalty, almost cost the Buccaneers, but a great play by Brent Grimes on a deep pass on second down, and an incomplete pass on third down allowed the Bucs to force the 3-and-out, and start another drive with strong field position, starting their second drive of the game at their own 44-yard-line.
This drive there would be no 3-and-out for the Buccaneers, as a pass to Mike Evans over the middle, and a 36-yard Jacquizz Rodgers carry gave the Bucs a 1st-and-goal at the 7-yard-line. A play later, it was Jameis Winston finding Evans again, this time for a seven-yard touchdown, beating Giants corner Eli Apple, pulling the Bucs ahead 7-0 after a Nick Folk extra point.
The Giants got the ball moving for the first time on their next drive, as Paul Perkins took a carry 14 yards to open up the drive. The Giants moved the ball into Buccaneers territory on the drive, but instead of attempting a 47-yard field goal, the Giants went for it on 4th-and-4. The Bucs defense was able to force an incomplete pass, and a turnover on downs, giving the ball back to Winston and the offense.
After a screen pass to Jacquizz Rodgers picked up 12 yards on the first play of the drive, the Bucs went to the play action pass on the next play, and Winston found a wide-open O.J. Howard for his first career touchdown, and the Bucs were ahead 13-0, as the score would stay as Folk missed the second extra point.
Eli Manning was next to work the play action, as he found Evan Engram to start the Giants next drive, and move the ball near midfield. A few plays later it was Grimes once again reminding Bucs fans of his importance, coming up with his second big play of the first quarter, and forcing yet another Giants punt. The Giants almost pinned the Bucs deep on the punt, but their special teamers weren’t able to come up with the big play Ryan Smith did for the Bucs, and the Bucs would start at their own 20 instead of inside their own 5-yard-line.
The Bucs couldn’t get anything going on this drive, and after back to back touchdown drives, the team went 3-and-out, and would punt the ball back to New York on the first play of the second quarter.
The Giants picked up a first down after once again being pinned deep by an Anger punt, but found themselves punting the ball back to the Bucs just a few plays later. A nice block by Peyton Barber, and return by Bernard Reedy gave the Buccaneers strong starting field position at the 37-yard-line.
Winston and the Bucs started another drive with another play action pass, and Winston found Cameron Brate who took the pass inside the Giants 30-yard-line. Two plays later Winston came dangerously close to being intercepted as Janoris Jenkins cut underneath a pass intended for Evans, and almost came away with the pass. Folk came out to attempt a 46-yard field goal, but as did on the extra point before it, he missed the field goal, giving the ball back to New York at the Giants 36-yard-line.
Beginning with their best starting field position of the first half, the Giants looked to try to get something going on offense for the first time all day. The Giants took advantage of their first opportunity to push the ball into Bucs territory, but stalled in the red zone, and had to settle for a field goal. With just over seven minutes remaining in the half, the Buccaneers lead was cut to 13-3.
The Bucs went 3-and-out on the ensuing drive, but the result was much better than it could have been. Winston dropped back on 3rd-and-8, and didn’t see Giants defensive tackle Jay Bromley dropping into coverage, and threw the pass directly to Bromley who allowed the ball to go right through his hands, looking every bit like the defensive tackle that he is.
The Giants may not have taken advantage of the potential turnover, but Manning and the offense looked as sharp as it had during the entire first half, going 62 yards and eventually scoring on a 14-yard touchdown scramble by Manning to pull the score within three, as the Bucs led 13-10 with just over three minutes to pay in half number one.
Winston found Desean Jackson for the first time as the next drive started, and almost hit him a second time a play later, but the ball was a bit behind Jackson and he failed to make the catch. Two plays later, the Bucs were staring at 3rd-and-9 at their own 37-yard-line. Winston found Adam Humphries for 10 yards on third down, extending the drive, and keeping the ball away from a Giants team that had scored 10 straight points, instead of allowing them another quick opportunity to tie the game or go ahead before the half. After the two-minute warning, Charles Sims took a pitch to the Giants 39-yard-line, giving the Bucs another sent of downs to work with. Two plays later, Winston found Evans on a pass after holding onto the ball and navigating the pocket for what seemed like an eternity. Evans looked to be down around the 1-yard-line, but the play was called a touchdown. After review, Evans was ruled down at the ½-yard-line. After another ill-timed pitch call to Rodgers went backwards to the 2-yard-line, Winston tried going back to Evans, who got away with offensive pass interference on what turned out to be an incomplete pass. Winston forced a ball to Cam Brate on third down, and after yet another incomplete pass the Bucs sent Folk out for a chip shot, 20-yard field goal. Folk was good this time, and the Bucs stretched the lead to 16-10 with 32 second remaining in half one.
The Bucs opened up the second half with the football, and with the running game as a pair of Rodgers carries picked up a first down to get the drive started. The drive continued moving on Rodgers’ back, and into Giants territory. The drive stalled at the 30, and Folk came out to attempt a 49-yard field goal, but once again missed the field goal, giving the ball back to the Giants at their own 39-yard-line.
The Bucs defense almost forced a 3-and-out on the Giants opening drive of the second half, but Manning found Brandon Marshall to pick up a first down, and push the ball into Buccaneers’ territory. The Giants drive almost stalled inside the red zone, but Manning found Marshall again at the 4-yard-line to set up a 1st-and-goal with under five minutes to play in the third quarter. Moments later, Manning found rookie tailback Wayne Gallman Jr. for a touchdown, and put the Giants ahead 17-16.
The Bucs began their next drive trailing for the first time in the game, and being outscored 17-3 since leading 13-0 early. The Bucs offense couldn’t get anything going again, going 3-and-out, and giving up a sack of Winston on third down. After Anger’s punt, the Giants had great field position, starting at their own 45-yard-line.
The Giants started the fourth quarter with the ball at the Bucs 31-yard-line, and facing a 3rd-and-10. Manning scrambled for six yards on third down and sent Aldrick Rosas out to add to the Giants one-point lead, but Rosas missed the field goal, giving the ball back to the Bucs at the 33-yard-line.
The Bucs were able to move the ball into Giants’ territory on the following drive, but the drive stalled when Winston failed to connect with Cameron Brate on 4th-and-2.
The Bucs defense held again, and quickly got the ball back in the offense’s hands, with great field position at their own 43-yard-line thanks to Wing getting off only a 15-yard punt. This time the Bucs were ready to take advantage, and a play after offsetting pass interference calls, Winston found Brate in the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown. The Bucs tried to stretch the lead to seven by going for the 2-point conversion, but Winston’s pass was behind Jackson who failed to pull the ball in, leaving the score at 22-17.
It didn’t take long for the Giants to quickly get the ball right back into scoring position, as Manning found Odell Beckham Jr. for 42 yards, to move the ball to the Bucs 33-yard-line. An offsides call and a great Engram catch later, and the Giants were in the Bucs red zone with a 1st-and-10. Moments later Manning found Rhett Ellison for a touchdown to push the Giants ahead 23-22. The Giants went for two to try to stretch the lead to three. Manning found Beckham Jr. in the back of the end zone for two, but Beckham stepped out of the back of the end zone before making the catch, and the points were taken off the board because of the illegal touching penalty.
The Bucs began their next drive with just over three minutes on the clock, and trailing by one. The Bucs picked up a quick first down on a Winston scramble, and then the Bucs quarterback found Evans across the middle just before the 2-minute warning, giving the Bucs a 1st-and-10 at the Giants 48-yard-line after the break.
The Bucs came out of the break and quickly got to work. Just before the clock ran under a minute, Winston found Cameron Brate for 26 yards, moving the Bucs inside the red zone. From there, it was just about putting Folk into position to kick a game-winning field goal, as Winston ran the ball to the left just to place the ball in the middle of the field, before taking a knee to draw the clock to four seconds before Folk, who had been shaky much of the afternoon came in and pushed it through the uprights, and the Bucs back into the win column with a 25-23 victory.