Monday, 4 a.m.
Forget the blocked kick. Forget the overmatched offensive line. Forget the way a backup quarterback led the woeful Jets to a fourth-quarter lead.
At the end of the day, you had Baker "Minuteman" Mayfield ... again.
You had Mayfield against a tying clock, behind that rickety offensive line, moving down the field.
For the third straight week, Mayfield led the Bucs downfield for the winning points. In Week One, the winning score came with 59 seconds to go. In Week Two, it was with six seconds to go. In Week Three, it was as the clock ran out.
The Bucs struggled all day, mainly due to a patchwork offensive line. Their three best linemen were out. None of the linemen were in the positions they were expected to be. It is debatable if that first offensive line, fifty years ago, was any worse.
Tampa Bay scored only one offensive touchdown all day. Mike Evans was hurt down the stretch. Penalties reached alarming levels. Momentum belonged to the Jets.
Somehow, they won.
It wasn't pretty. The winless Jets trailed by 17 going into the final period, Tyrod Taylor's receivers were suddenly running open. When the Jets' William McDonald blocked a field goal, scooped it and rambled 50 yards for the go-ahead score, it seemed the Bucs had let one slip through their fingers.
But Mayfield, who is getting used to this, calmly drove the Bucs down for the winning field goal. He now has 13 fourth-quarter comebacks and 15 game-winning drives in his career.
He through a long incompletion to Tez Johnson. Then he hit Emeka Egbuka for 28 yards. He just missed on another pass to Egbuka. Then he hit Sterlling Sheppard for 20 yards.
On third down, McLaughlin shook off his earlier blockd kick and nailed a 36-yard field goal.
The Bucs were hindered by an offensive line built from backups and practice squad players. The team was repeatedly called for holding. In all, the Bucs were called for 14 penalties, costing them 124 yards.
The Bucs scored on four field goals by McLaughlin. Mike Evans caught a scoring pass from Mayfield, and Jamel Dean returned an interception 55 yards.
For the game, Mayfield hit 19 of 29 for 233 yards. He ran four times for 44 yards. Bucky Irvin ran for 66 yards.
Egbuka caught six passes for 85 yards. Sheppard caught four for 80.
The Bucs are home against Philadelphia on Sunday.
