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The Bucs were up by eight points and had just gotten the ball back. All they had to do was kneel down and they would be in the playoffs. But if they did that it would leave their teammate Mike Evans without his bonus, and without the record for consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to start a career. There was a huge decision to be made.
The game was between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New Orleans Saints, and it was important because it would determine if the Bucs made the playoffs or not. It was a good game where the Bucs came back to win, but it came down to the final seconds of the game.
This action symbolized what the Bucs have become whilst being led by Baker Mayfield. They seem to be made up of more than wins and losses. They care about the guys around them. There’s a lot of heart and emotion packed in there too.
After the Bucs lined up to go for it, Mayfield tossed a wide receiver out route to Evans and nobody got up to tackle him in time. He surged forward powerfully and did a somersault, gaining several more yards than needed. It felt a little bit like Michael Strahan‘s sack on Brett Favre to break the sack record. Yet nobody seemed to mind. In fact, they were all fired up. Even the Saints seemed happy.
The one exception to the happiness was perhaps owner Joel Glazer. Because his wallet took a hit. But since Glazer always has high praise for him, we’re saying that in jest.
And of course Rice greeted him with all the class you’d expect from the Hall of Famer.
Some fans probably didn’t like the decision to go for it. But the fact that it worked out probably erased that feeling similar to what happens when a coach goes for it instead of kicking the field goal and your team gets the first down. Same feeling.
But they were risking a lot. Imaging the backlash had Evans fumbled the ball which had ultimately lead to a Bucs loss. They would have missed the playoffs, and everyone would be calling Evans and Mayfield selfish. It could have a rippling effect that dragged down reputations and ended careers. We’ll never know the chaos that it could have caused. Because it didn’t.
