The Tampa Bay Buccaneers dominated the Philadelphia Eagles in a Monday night Wild Card matchup, winning 32-9 to advance to the Divisional Round for the third time in the last four seasons. That marked the third largest margin of victory for the Buccaneers in their postseason history, and they also outgained the Eagles by 150 total yards, 426 to 276.
That kind of lopsided outcome suggests some outstanding individual performances in all phases of the game, and indeed that was the case as the Buccaneers built an early 13-point lead and never allowed the Eagles back into the game. Baker Mayfield topped 300 passing yards and threw three touchdown passes, Cade Otton caught eight passes for 89 yards and both David Moore and Trey Palmer turned short catches into long touchdowns. On defense, Lavonte David put on a vintage Lavonte David performance as the Bucs' stifled Philly's run game, Anthony Nelson put the game out of reach by forcing a safety and Carlton Davis broke up two passes. Kicker Chase McLaughlin? Yeah, he was perfect again.
Who stood out above the rest? After such a momentous victory, it would be tempting to do what Head Coach Todd Bowles did after the Week 18 win in Carolina and give every player a Game Ball. Alas, that is not an option for me and Staff Writer/Reporter Brianna Dix. After each Buccaneer victory the two of us are tasked with determining one winner of our (fictional) Game Ball award. We each nominate one player, and those two are then included in a list of four candidates, with the final decision up to you, the fans. After you review the cases, we make for two of those players, you will find a link at the bottom of the page to cast your ballot.
Since we can't duplicate votes and getting the first pick can be important in some weeks, we are alternating the order of our choices from win to win. It's my turn to go first. So, who should get this week's Game Ball? Here are our suggestions:
Scott Smith: QB Baker Mayfield
Psst…did you know Baker Mayfield had injuries to his ribs and one ankle that didn't even allow him to record one full practice last week? As Bucs fans, you probably were aware of this situation, but if you just happened to tune into Monday night's game without any foreknowledge, you never would have known. Mayfield zipped the ball all over the field and even ran for several key yardage pickups without any apparent limitations.
And the results were magnificent. Despite a little case of the dropsies by the Bucs' pass-catchers early on, Mayfield completed 22 of 36 passes for 337 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. His passer rating at the end of the night was a sparkly 119.8. You know who has had a better passer rating in a playoff game for the Buccaneers in team history? Just some dude named Tom, in the Super Bowl against Kansas City. You might remember him.
Mayfield's 337 passing yards were the third most by a Buccaneers quarterback in a postseason contest, trailing only two Brady outings. He was the first Tampa Bay passer ever to top 300 yards and throw three touchdown passes in a single playoff contest. He took four sacks, which wasn't ideal, but he never came out of the game. The Bucs are still playing well into January, and that's because they decided to give Baker Mayfield a chance last March.
Brianna Dix: LB Lavonte David
I certainly thought about going with Cade Otton, who posted eight receptions for 89 yards and established career-highs in targets (11), receptions and receiving yards against Philadelphia. He repeatedly stepped up with contested catches and moved the chains with his prowess over the middle of the field. However, given the production of the defense against the Eagles, I am going to go with ageless wonder Lavonte David.
Tampa Bay held Philadelphia to 0-of-9 on third down conversion attempts, marking just the third time in club history (since data became available in 1991) that they have held an opponent to a third-down percentage of zero. In addition, the Bucs held the Eagles to a season-low 42 rushing yards – marking the second-fewest rushing yards Tampa Bay has allowed in a playoff game in franchise history. David played an integral role in limiting both D'Andre Swift and Kenneth Gainwell. He notched five tackles, including two for a loss, which marked a new postseason single-game record. David put on a vintage performance on the gridiron, rallying the defense. He flew all over the field, showcasing his speed at age 33. With instinctive play, quick trigger to get to the necessary spot on the field, lateral movement and pursuit skills, David set the tone on Monday night.
His understanding of angles put him in prime positioning with leverage and David solidified the defense on the grand stage at Raymond James Stadium. David's play often gets overlooked because he is the poster of consistency, but he is well deserving of a game ball. He became a highlight reel on Monday.
Who deserves the Game Ball for the Bucs' playoff win over the Eagles? Click here to cast your vote.
