Baker Mayfield Leads Bucs to Thrilling Last-Minute Victory Over Texans

Game-Winning Drive Caps Revenge Victory

Baker Mayfield led an 11-play, 80-yard drive capped by Rachaad White's 2-yard touchdown run with 6 seconds left, and Tampa Bay rallied past the Houston Texans 20-19 on Monday Night Football at NRG Stadium.

Mayfield threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns for the Bucs (2-0), and his 15-yard scramble on fourth-and-10 kept the game-winning drive going. The veteran quarterback's clutch performance delivered sweet revenge after Houston's 39-37 victory over Tampa Bay in 2023 with a touchdown in the final six seconds.

Mayfield's Historic Start Continues

He joins Doug Williams (1980) as the only Tampa Bay quarterbacks to open a season with two consecutive game-winning drives. After leading a comeback victory over Atlanta in Week 1, Mayfield has established himself as one of the NFL's premier clutch performers.

Key Game Stats & Turning Points

Baker Mayfield: 215 passing yards, 2 TDs, 33 rushing yards (31 in 4th quarter) Rachaad White: 65 rushing yards, game-winning TD Bucky Irving: 71 rushing yards C.J. Stroud: 207 passing yards, 1 TD

The Texans (0-2) took a 19-14 lead on a 25-yard TD run by Nick Chubb with 2:10 left. Houston went for 2 but Stroud was sacked. The Buccaneers finished with 169 yards rushing to just 84 by the Texans.

Tampa Bay's ground game dominated, with Mayfield adding crucial rushing yards when needed most. The Bucs' balanced attack proved too much for a Texans defense that couldn't generate enough stops in the final moments.

Looking Ahead

The Buccaneers host the New York Jets and the Texans visit the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Tampa Bay's perfect 2-0 start positions them as early NFC South favorites, while Houston faces pressure to avoid an 0-3 hole.