Jameis Winston's last pass in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' season-opener on Sunday was a fourth-down 50-50 jump ball to Mike Evans that kicked off a do-or-die replay review to determine if there was pass interference. The non-call was eventually upheld and the San Francisco 49ers kneeled twice to run out the clock on a 31-17 win.
Winston's last completion of the game was far less dramatic, a four-yard dump-off over the middle to running back Dare Ogunbowale against a prevent defense. However, that pass did carry historical significance in terms of franchise history.
Though it was difficult to celebrate on a rough afternoon that included three interceptions, Winston's completion to Ogunbowale gave him 194 passing yards on the day and, more to the point, 14,822 in his career. That's the most ever for a Buccaneers quarterback, surpassing the previous record of 14,820, set by Vinny Testaverde from 1987-92.
Buccaneers All-Time Passing Yardage Leaders
Winston needed 57 games to surpass the mark that Testaverde originally established in 76 outings. Obviously, Winston is playing in a more passing-oriented era of the NFL, but he still holds the team's record for passing yards per game by a wide margin.
Buccaneers Most Passing Yards Per Game, Career
Sunday's loss to the 49ers was the beginning to Winston's fifth NFL season. He ranks among the NFL's all-time leaders in passing yards per game during a quarterback's first five seasons.
Most Passing Yards Per Game, NFL History, Player's First Five Seasons (min. 10 games)
Ronald Jones was a bright spot for the Buccaneers, rushing for 75 yards on 13 carries and averaging 5.8 yards per tote. Jones came into the game after Peyton Barber got the start in the backfield, and his 75 rushing yards any Buccaneer non-starter has ever had in a season-opening game. Jones' 5.8 yards per attempt is the fifth-highest average ever for a Tampa Bay back on opening day (min. 10 carries).
Tampa Bay's defense held San Francisco to just 264 yards of net offense, with two of the 49ers' three touchdowns coming on pick-sixes. The Buccaneers also scored on defense, with cornerback Vernon Hargreaves giving the home team a 7-6 lead in the first quarter with a 15-yard interception return off Jimmy Garoppolo. This marks the third straight year that Tampa Bay's defense has scored in the season's first game.
View photos of Tampa Bay's Week 1 matchup against San Francisco.
DL Will Gholston, No. 92
Bucs vs. 49ers
TE O.J. Howard, No. 80
QB Jameis Winston, No. 3
RB Peyton Barber, No. 25
RB Ronald Jones II, No. 27 & TE O.J. Howard, No. 80
WR Mike Evans, No. 13
DL Ndamukong Suh, No. 93
DL Will Gholston, No. 92 & DL Vita Vea, No. 50
DL Ndamukong Suh, No. 93 & OLB Carl Nassib, No. 94
CB Carlton Davis, No. 33
CB Carlton Davis, No. 33
RB Peyton Barber, No. 25
RB Peyton Barber, No. 25, QB Jameis Winston, No. 3 & G Alex Cappa, No. 65
RB Peyton Barber, No. 25
RB Peyton Barber, No. 25
QB Jameis Winston, No. 3
WR Mike Evans, No. 13
Bucs vs. 49ers
CB Vernon Hargreaves III, No. 28 & ILB Lavonte David, No. 54
CB Vernon Hargreaves III, No. 28
CB Vernon Hargreaves III, No. 28
CB Vernon Hargreaves III, No. 28
CB Vernon Hargreaves III, No. 28
Bucs vs. 49ers
QB Jameis Winston, No. 3
ILB Lavonte David, No. 54 & ILB Devin White, No. 45
RB Ronald Jones II, No. 27
WR Chris Godwin, No. 12
OLB Shaquil Barrett, No. 58
OLB Shaquil Barrett, No. 58
DL Ndamukong Suh, No. 93
DL Beau Allen, No. 91
ILB Lavonte David, No. 54 & DB M.J. Stewart, No. 36
Bucs vs. 49ers
DL Will Gholston, No. 92
Bucs vs. 49ers
S Darian Stewart, No. 24 & CB Carlton Davis, No. 33
ILB Lavonte David, No. 54 & ILB Devin White, No. 45
QB Jameis Winston, No. 3
Bucs vs. 49ers
RB Peyton Barber, No. 25
WR Chris Godwin, No. 12 & WR Breshad Perriman, No. 19
WR Chris Godwin, No. 12 & WR Breshad Perriman, No. 19
Bucs vs. 49ers
WR Chris Godwin, No. 12
RB Peyton Barber, No. 25
WR Chris Godwin, No. 12
WR Chris Godwin, No. 12
WR Chris Godwin, No. 12
WR Chris Godwin, No. 12
WR Chris Godwin, No. 12 & WR Breshad Perriman, No. 19
Bucs vs. 49ers
Bucs vs. 49ers
S Jordan Whitehead, No. 31 & DB M.J. Stewart, No. 36
OLB Carl Nassib, No. 94
RB Dare Ogunbowale, No. 44
ILB Devin White, No. 45
DB M.J. Stewart, No. 36
S Jordan Whitehead, No. 31 & ILB Lavonte David, No. 54
ILB Lavonte David, No. 54
RB Ronald Jones II, No. 27
RB Ronald Jones II, No. 27
Bucs vs. 49ers
RB Ronald Jones II, No. 27
RB Ronald Jones II, No. 27 & TE O.J. Howard, No. 80
S Jordan Whitehead, No. 31, ILB Devin White, No. 45 & OLB Shaquil Barrett, No. 58
RB Ronald Jones II, No. 27 & TE O.J. Howard, No. 80
S Jordan Whitehead, No. 31
RB Ronald Jones II, No. 27
WR Mike Evans, No. 13 & TE O.J. Howard, No. 80
RB Ronald Jones II, No. 27
Bucs vs. 49ers
QB Jameis Winston, No. 3
QB Jameis Winston, No. 3
DB M.J. Stewart, No. 36 & ILB Lavonte David, No. 54
DB M.J. Stewart, No. 36
DB M.J. Stewart, No. 36
RB Ronald Jones II, No. 27
Bucs vs. 49ers
ILB Devin White, No. 45 & DB M.J. Stewart, No. 36
ILB Lavonte David, No. 54
S Darian Stewart, No. 24 & DL Ndamukong Suh, No. 93
RB Ronald Jones II, No. 27 & TE O.J. Howard, No. 80
CB Vernon Hargreaves III, No. 28 & ILB Devin White, No. 45
RB Ronald Jones II, No. 27
DL Vita Vea, No. 50
P Bradley Pinion, No. 8 & K Matt Gay, No. 9
DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches, No, 56
Bucs vs. 49ers
Opening-Game Defensive Touchdowns, Buccaneers, 2017-19
· Robert McClain, 47-yard interception return, vs. Chicago, Sept. 17, 2017
· Justin Evans, 34-yard fumble return, at New Orleans, Sept. 9, 2018
· Vernon Hargreaves, 15-yard interception return, vs. San Francisco, Sept. 8, 2019
The only touchdown allowed by Tampa Bay's defense on Sunday was a 39-yard scoring pass from Garoppolo to wide receiver Richie James in the third quarter, which came two plays after a 23-yard pass-interference call on cornerback Carlton Davis. The 49ers took advantage of some early good field position to encroach into the Buccaneers' red zone three times in the game, but those three drives produced just two field goals.
As such, the Buccaneers held the opponents without a touchdown in three or more red zone trips in the same game for the first time in almost six years. The last time they did so was against New Orleans on Sept. 15, 2013. The Saints were zero for four in the red zone that day.
