The Buccaneers are 3-0, and they’ve made some NFL history in doing so.
The Bucs are comfortably in first place after a trio of close wins. They beat the Falcons in Week 1 on a missed field goal, the Texans in Week 2 after a touchdown with six seconds left and the Jets in Week 3 on a walk-off field goal.
Tampa Bay’s plus-6 point differential is tied for the lowest in NFL history among teams to start 3-0. Washington in 2005 and Tennessee in 2020 were the other two teams to also achieve that tight undefeated start.
The Bucs’ Week 3 win over the Jets was not easy, but it probably should have been. Tampa Bay was up 23-6 entering the fourth quarter before taking its foot off the gas.
The Jets started the fourth quarter with an 80-yard drive that finished with an 11-yard touchdown pass from QB Tyrod Taylor to WR Garrett Wilson. Then, after a Bucs field goal, WR Allen Lazard hauled in a 4-yard touchdown from Taylor.
With 1:49 left, the Jets blocked a field goal and returned it for a touchdown to take the lead, 27-26.
That was a lot of time left on the clock, though. Mayfield led a seven-play, 48-yard drive to set up a 36-yard field goal attempt from kicker Chase McLaughlin — and that was not blocked.
Bucs’ Chase McLaughlin makes 36-yard game-winning field goal vs. Jets
It was a huge win for the Buccaneers, who will enter Week 4 with a two-game lead atop the NFC South.
Mayfield has six touchdowns and no interceptions and has not committed any kind of turnover through the first three games of this season. The veteran signal-caller also ran for 44 yards against New York.
Week 4 for the Buccaneers features a home matchup against the undefeated Eagles. It’s worth noting that star WR Mike Evans left the win over the Jets with a hamstring injury, but WR Chris Godwin and left tackle Tristan Wirfs are expected to make their season debuts against Philadelphia.
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