The Bills welcomed the visiting Buccaneers to town for "Thursday Night Football," and provided them with a rock fight of a night that ended with a 24-18 victory for the host Bills.
Buffalo jumped out to a 10-point lead on the strength of a Tyler Bass field goal and a Josh Allen rushing touchdown. The latter of those scores came after the Bills were stopped on the goal line on their previous drive, but they forced a punt and returned it to the Tampa Bay 23-yard line. Allen scored by scrambling away from pressure and beating three Bucs defenders to the end zone after a cutback for a 13-yard score. That marked the 43rd rushing touchdown of his career, tying him with Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young for the second-most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback all-time. Allen will need 33 more to pass Cam Newton's NFL quarterback record of 75.
The Bucs cut the lead to seven points with a field-goal drive of their own, then were given a huge opportunity by Allen, who had a pass tipped into the air by Antoine Winfield and then intercepted, setting Tampa up with excellent field position. That wasn't a surprise given Allen hasn't gone back-to-back starts without a turnover since 2020, the longest active streak in the NFL -- now 42 games in a row. Two plays later, Tampa Bay Pro Bowl wide receiver Chris Godwin, who finished with 54 receiving yards on five catches, found the end zone on a quick, three-yard slant and the game was suddenly tied at 10.
However, the Bills clapped back with James Cook, who finished with 67 rushing yards on 13 carries, as he made a few strong runs and then Allen found rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid, the 25th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, on the move for his first career touchdown, a 22-yard score. That passing touchdown gave Allen a score through the air, a score on the ground and a turnover all in the second quarter, his third time this season with all three of those in a single quarter this season. The rest of the NFL has done that a combined two times. Tampa had enough time to potentially mount a field goal drive to end the half, but stalled out after a false start followed by a sack.
Buffalo efficiently marched right down the field to begin the third quarter, finding the end zone in nine plays covering 75 yards with a pretty pass play springing wide receiver Gabe Davis wide open in the back of the end zone for the four-yard score. The design of the play included a fake jet sweep, a play-action fake on a run downhill and then Davis sneaking across the formation on a mesh concept. The entire Buccaneers defense bit on either the run or sprinted to cover Bills Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs in the right half of the end zone.
Three consecutive Bills punts after that second-half opening drive allowed the Buccaneers to hang around, which helped them to eventually make this contest a one-score game again. After beginning a drive with 10:05 left to play and possession on their own eight, Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield dragged the Tampa Bay offense down the field, also with the aide of two fourth-down penalties. On his third "fourth-and-game," Mayfield looped a perfectly arched pass to the front, left corner of the end zone to Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans for a 24-yard touchdown. Tampa Bay's ensuing two-point conversion attempt also fortuitously ended up as a completion after tight end Cade Otton secured Mayfield's tipped pass. Following seven minutes and 21 seconds over the span of 17 plays, Tampa Bay trailed by just six, 24-18. The 17-play touchdown drive tied for the second longest in the NFL this season, trailing only a Philadelphia Eagles' 19-play touchdown drive against the New York Jets in Week 6.
Down by just six, the Buccaneers had a shot to win after they got the football back at their own 20 with 21 seconds to play and no timeouts. They reached as far as their own 45, but Mayfield's Hail Mary heave fell harmlessly to the turf as no one was able to get a finger on the football. Godwin may have had a chance to catch the game-winner, but he turned his head both the wrong way and a second too early.
Here are the key takeaways from a game that ended with a much closer final score than it appeared it would:
Why the Bills won
Josh Allen, now 6-0 on "Thursday Night Football," stuffed the stat sheet once again, totaling three touchdowns – two passing and one rushing while committing only one turnover – an effort that was good enough to top a struggling Buccaneers offense. His legs (41 yards and a touchdown on seven carries) in tandem with running back James Cooks' (a game-high 67 rushing yards on 14 carries) allowed Buffalo's offense to rack up 115 rushing yards to Tampa Bay's 78, providing a balance on offense the Buccaneers just didn't have. Mayfield ended up as Tampa Bay's leading rusher with 39 rushing yards on nine carries.
Why the Buccaneers lost
Tampa Bay's defense and special teams played well enough to win. Six punts and no one recording at least 40 rushing yards isn't normally going to be a recipe for success. They also didn't have anything easy on offense. Their best option in the passing game was checkdowns to running back Rachaad White, who finished with a team-high 70 receiving yards on a game-high seven catches. Meanwhile, their two Pro Bowl receivers Evans and Godwin combined to total eight catches. If Tampa Bay wants to halt its three-game losing streak in Week 9, finding better ways to scheme open those two and get the running game going need to be at the top of its priority list.
Turning point and play of the game
Allen's second touchdown pass and third touchdown overall on a throw to Gabe Davis. In a second half in which it looked just about impossible for either offense to find much rhythm, opening the third quarter with a well-schemed-up pass to a wide-open Davis in the end zone is the defining play of the night.
What's Next
The 5-3 Bills will hit the road in Week 9 to face the Cincinnati Bengals, the team that eliminated them from the 2022 postseason in the AFC Divisional Round. The 3-4 Bucs will also continue their road trip with a visit to Houston to face 2023 second overall draft pick C.J. Stroud and the Texans.