The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Los Angeles Chargers in thrilling fashion, 40-17, to secure their fourth consecutive win. With the win, Tampa Bay improved to 8-6, maintaining first place in the NFC South. The Bucs fired on all cylinders and put up 30 unanswered points, 27 in the second half, to secure the win on the road.
"It was definitely one of our most complete games," said Head Coach Todd Bowles. "All three phases helped out in the victory, and I thought guys had great energy coming out and it was something we talked about before the game. They really came out in the second half with even greater energy and finished the game on both sides of the ball."
Offensive Onslaught
The Buccaneers accumulated 506 yards of offense against the Chargers – the team's second-highest total of the season and 16th-highest in team annals – making them the lone team this season with eight 400-yard games and one of three teams with multiple 500-yard performances. Tampa Bay's offense put up the most points (40), most total yards (506), most rushing yards (223) and second-most passing yards (283) against the Chargers' top-ranked scoring defense this season. Tampa Bay did not punt on Sunday and scored on nine of 12 possessions in the matchup, including six straight before their final drive. The Buccaneers started the game with a methodical 70-yard drive on their opening possession, with Mayfield capping it off with a 26-yard pass to rookie receiver Jalen McMillan on a rub route.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 22 of 27 passes for 288 yards and four touchdowns, with one interception, earning a 135.3 quarterback passer rating. It marked Mayfield's seventh career regular season game with four or more touchdown passes, including his fourth for Tampa Bay. Mike Evans became the catalyst in the passing game and notched season highs with nine receptions for 159 yards receiving, including a season-long 57-yard touchdown reception. He officially moved into the top 25 in NFL history in receiving yards, surpassing Jimmy Smith (12,287) and Antonio Brown (12,291) for the 25th-most all-time receiving yards. On the first touchdown in the beginning of the third frame, Mayfield rolled out of the pocket to the left to escape pressure and found Evans down the sideline, who continued running to stay in Mayfield's vision. Evans quickly bypassed the lone defender in his path and accelerated for a 54-yard score. At the end of the third quarter, Evans hauled in his second. He utilized a subtle move to gain inside leverage against Kristian Fulton and made his way into the end zone on a 35-yard score, providing Tampa Bay with a 30-17 lead. No. 13 showcased his long-striding speed, feel for coverages and physicality after the catch.
The Bucs rushed for 223 yards in the game and averaged 5.7 yards per carry, marking their 11th 100-yard rushing performance in 14 games played this season, and their third game with at least 200 yards rushing. Rookie Bucky Irving notched his second 100-yard rushing performance of the season – taking 15 carries for 117 yards. Irving leads all rookies in both yards from scrimmage and rushing yards this season and he displayed his downhill prowess and superior balance on Sunday. He was patient in trusting his blockers and quickly turned on the jets after hitting the crease. On Irving's 54-yard run – the longest run given up by the Chargers in 2024 – Ko Kieft shifted pre-snap to line up as the fullback. The Bucs ran a counter and after the snap, Kieft and Ben Bredeson pulled. Bredeson took out Joey Bosa with the trap and Kieft cleared the way and blocked Daiyan Henley. Irving squeezed through the hole and took off. The slippery runner was dealing with back tightness and a hip injury, but the first-year player once again set the tone on the ground with his slippery style.
Defensive Pounding
Defensively, Tampa Bay limited the Chargers offense to just 206 total yards – the lowest total allowed by the Bucs in a game in 2024. The Chargers were 0-for-6 on third down and 0-for-2 on fourth down in the contest and rushed for a season-low 32 yards. The Buccaneers held the Chargers to just 14 first downs on Sunday – the fewest surrendered by Tampa Bay in a game all season.
Lavonte David led the defense with a stellar performance. He tallied 12 tackles (one for loss), 1.5 sacks and three quarterback hits. David now has 5.5 sacks on the season and 39.0 for his career, which ties David Logan for the sixth-most sacks in franchise history. David has amassed 51 career regular season games with 10-or-more tackles and seven games with 1.5-plus sacks. He wreaked havoc on the field and showcased his range and effectiveness on the blitz. From flattening a guard to tackle a ball carrier, splitting a double team, to flying through the A-gap to take down Justin Herbert, David produced a vintage performance. Jamel Dean intercepted a Herbert pass in the third quarter to record his first interception of the season and the eighth of his NFL career. Herbert entered the game with just one interception thrown this season and Dean's pick led to a touchdown for Tampa Bay and crucial momentum shift. Logan Hall extended his single-season career high to 4.5 sacks, after picking up 1.5 sacks on Sunday against Herbert.
