The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are seeking a fourth straight NFC South title, opened their 2024 season in encouraging fashion: a 37-20 trouncing of the Washington Commanders at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday afternoon. That marked the fourth-highest point total the Buccaneers have ever produced in a Week One contest.
Most Points Scored in a Season-Opening Win, Buccaneers History
1t. Tampa Bay 48, New Orleans 40, 9/9/18
1t. Tampa Bay 48, Atlanta 10, 9/13/87
2. Tampa Bay 38, Detroit 21, 9/9/90
3. Tampa Bay 37, Washington 20, 9/8/24
The Buccaneers have now won their season opener four years in a row, dating back to 2021. That ties with Philadelphia and Miami for the second-longest active streak in the NFL. New Orleans won its sixth straight Week One contest on Sunday against Carolina.
The Buccaneers' offense, under first-year coordinator Liam Coen, scored on each of its first five possessions and seven of eight drives, including a two-play kneel-down at the end of the game. That marked the first time Tampa Bay had scored on its first five possession of a game since a 44-27 beating of the Falcons in the 2020 regular season finale (Jan. 3, 2021). The Buccaneers were able to sustain all those drives by converting on nine of their 13 third-down attempts. That success rate of 69.2% was the best by any NFL team in Week One (prior to Monday's game) and is the sixth-highest rate in a single game in Bucs history.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield led the way with one of his best games as a pro, completing 24 of 30 passes for 289 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, which created a passer rating of 146.4. That was the best passer rating for any quarterback in the league in Week One (prior to Monday's game). It marked the fourth time in his NFL career that Mayfield has thrown for four-plus touchdown passes and had a passer rating of 140 or higher in a single game and his second team in 18 starts with the Buccaneers (also at Green Bay, 12/17/23). That's the same number of times Aaron Rodgers accomplished that feat in the first seven years of his career. The record is six, held by Peyton Manning; Kurt Warner had five.
Two of Mayfield's touchdown passes ended up in the hands of Mike Evans, who scored from 17 yards out in the second quarter and from one yard out in the fourth quarter. Evans, who tied for the NFL lead last season with 13 touchdown receptions, joined Houston's Stefon Diggs as the only players in the league to catch multiple scoring passes in Week One (prior to Monday's game). Evans entered his 11th NFL season with 94 career touchdown receptions, which ranked 13th in league history; with his two and no touchdowns on Sunday for the Raiders' Davante Adams, Evans is now 12th all-time and just four away from becoming the 11th player ever to reach 100 career touchdown receptions.
Nine of the 11 players ahead of Evans on the list are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame; the other two, Antonio Gates and Larry Fitzgerald will almost certainly join them in Canton. Gates was eligible for enshrinement for the first time last year and Fitzgerald is not yet eligible.
Most Career Touchdown Receptions, NFL History
| Player | Team(s) | Seasons | TD Recs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerry Rice+ | SF, LV & SEA | 1985-2004 | 197 |
| Randy Moss+ | MIN, LV, NE, TEN & SF | 1998-2012 | 156 |
| Terrell Owens+ | SF, PHI, DAL, BUF & CIN | 1996-2010 | 153 |
| Cris Carter+ | PHI, MIN & MIA | 1987-2002 | 130 |
| Marvin Harrison+ | IND | 1996-2008 | 128 |
| Larry Fitzgerald | ARI | 2004-20 | 121 |
| Antonio Gates | LAC | 2003-18 | 116 |
| Tony Gonzalez+ | KC & ATL | 1997-2013 | 111 |
| Tim Brown+ | LV & TB | 1988-2004 | 100 |
| Steve Largent+ | SEA | 1976-89 | 100 |
| Don Hutson+ | GB | 1935-45 | 99 |
| Mike Evans | TB | 2014-24 | 96 |
| Davante Adams | GB & LV | 2014-24 | 96 |
(+ Member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame)
Evans' two touchdowns gave him 12 points on the day, pushing his career total to 590, just two points behind former kicker Martin Gramatica for the most in team history.
Most Points Scored, Buccaneers History
- K Martin Gramatica, 1999-2004: 592
- WR Mike Evans, 2014-24: 590
- K Michael Husted, 1993-98: 502
- K Connor Barth, 2009-13, 2005: 477
- FB Mike Alstott, 1996-2007: 432
Chris Godwin also caught a touchdown pass from Mayfield, a four-yard grab in the third quarter that gave the Bucs a 23-7 lead. It was the 35th touchdown catch of his career, giving him sole possession of second place in that category in franchise annals.
Most Touchdown Receptions, Buccaneers History
- Mike Evans, 2014-24: 96
- Chris Godwin, 2017-24: 35
- Jimmie Giles, 1978-86: 34
- Cameron Brate, 2014-22: 33
- Kevin House, 1980-86: 31
Mayfield's other touchdown pass went to rookie wideout Jalen McMillan, a third-round pick out of Washington. McMillan scored on his first NFL reception, a 32-yarder in the fourth quarter to put the Bucs back up by 16. Fellow 2024 draftee Bucky Irving led the Buccaneers in rushing in his NFL debut, gaining 62 yards on nine carries, for an average of 6.9 yards per tote. That's the highest yards-per-carry figure by a Buccaneer making his NFL debut (minimum three carries) in Buccaneers history.
Starting RB Rachaad White contributed 106 yards from scrimmage (31 rushing, 75 receiving), hitting triple digits in that category for the eighth time since the start of last season. The one-two punch of White and Irving was quite effective; Sunday's game marked the first time two Bucs running backs have each generated 75 or more yards from scrimmage in the same game since Peyton Barber and Jacquizz Rodgers did so against San Francisco on October 23, 2016.
Chase McLaughlin, beginning his second season as the Buccaneers' placekicker, started the scoring on Sunday with a 56-yard field goal. That's the ninth time since joining the Bucs that McLaughlin has attempted a field goal of 50 or more yards, and he has made eight of them. It was his fourth attempt as a Buccaneer from 56 yards or farther, and he's four-for-four in that category. He now owns four of the 10 successful field goal tries from 56 yards or longer in Buccaneers annals.
In his career, McLaughlin is a remarkable 25 of 30 (83.3%) from 50 yards and beyond. Among all kickers with at least 20 attempts from that range, McLaughlin has the highest success rate in NFL history.
Best Field Goal Percentage on Attempts of 50-Plus Yards, NFL History (minimum 20 attempts
| Kicker | Team(s) | Made | Att. | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase McLaughlin | LAC, SF, IND, JAX, NYJ, CLE & TB | 25 | 30 | 83.3% |
| Chris Boswell | PIT | 33 | 40 | 82.5% |
| Daniel Carlson | MIN & LV | 25 | 32 | 78.1% |
| Evan McPherson | CIN | 22 | 29 | 75.9% |
| Matt Prater | DEN, DET, ARI & ATL | 90 | 107 | 74.6% |
