Bucs upstage Eagles with unexpected game plan during Wild Card matchup
Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shakes hands with Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles after an NFL wild-card playoff football game at Raymond James Stadium on January 15, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Image
TAMPA, Fla. - They've been underdogs all season – overlooked and now overachievers.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are this year's "Cinderella team" led by a castoff quarterback and a cast of characters that couldn't care less who outside their organization believes they can win.
"Just proud of our guys. Proud of everybody in the building," Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield said. "To stick together like we did the second half of the year and to get to this spot, to keep fighting and stick together and don't listen to the outside noise. Just trust the people next to you."
The Bucs put trust into some of the unlikeliest hands with Mayfield going to David Moore for the Bucs' first of three touchdown passes during Monday night's Wild Card matchup. Moore had just five catches the whole season and celebrated his 29th birthday with his first career playoff touchdown.
Moore wasn't the only backup to come off the bench and shine. Bucs rookiewide receiver Trey Palmer came into the game angry and fired up to beat the Philadelphia Eagles.
"It was just my mood," Palmer said. "I just woke up mad. I don't like birds, you know. I just practice hard each and every day and just come out and compete. Thank God for my first postseason touchdown."
But, it was the battered and bruised chef who did the cooking on offense. Mayfield baked, becoming the first Bucs QB in history with 300-plus yards passing and three-plus pass TDs in a playoff game – topping even the man he replaced: Tom Brady.
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"He's a dog," Tristan Wirfs said. "He's a super tough guy, incredible competitor."
While Mayfield cooked up a winning effort on offense, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles laid out a smorgasbord of blitzes on defense. It was enough to overwhelm Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts by sending extra pressure.
The Bucs blitzed 60% of the time, 20% more than their season average.
"New blitzes for this week, and I'm sure we'll have a new stack of blitzes when we come back in the building for next week," Anthony Nelson said. "That's the Bowles magic right there."
The Bucs knew they needed a different attack in their second matchup against the Eagles, and they'll need to come up with new plan of attack in their second shot at the Detroit Lions – a team that beat them 20-6 just three months ago.