Monday, 4 a.m.
You can look at it as the first step of a long journey. You can look at it as a win over an overmatched opponent. You can look at it as a game the Tampa Bay Bucs should have won.
Or, you can look at it like this:
Wow.
The Bucs got their season off to a resounding start Sunday with a convincing, 37-20 win over the Washington Commanders. It was a successful start for new offensive coordinator Liam Coen, a successful re-start for quarterback Baker Mayfield and successful debuts for rookies Graham Barton, Bucky Irving and Jalen McMillan.
True, it wasn’t perfect. But any 17-point win in the NFL is pretty impressive.
Coen called an impressive game, getting points on the Bucs’ first three drives.
Then there was Mayfield, who hit 24 of 30 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns. He had a rating of 146.4, the second highest grade he has had as a Buc. He hit Chris Godwin eight times for 89 yards, Rachaad White six time for 75 yards and Mike Evans six times for 61 yards. He hit Evans twice for touchdowns, Godwin once and McMillan once.
The Bucs jumped to a 13-0 lead. Washington trailed by 23 before a late touchdown.
The Bucs weren’t great at running the ball, but Irving had 62 yards on nine carries.
Tampa Bay travels to Detroit on Sunday for a 1 p.m. game against the Lions.