While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost two key pieces of their offense on Monday night, Lamar Jackson was absolutely cooking on offense to lead the Baltimore Ravens to a 41-31 victory.
The Ravens are now 5-2 on the year, while the Bucs fell to 4-3.
This was the definition of a primetime matchup as Jackson and Baker Mayfield, two quarterbacks that are MVP candidates at the moment, went head-to-head in the Sunshine State.
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Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman (7) is congratulated by quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) after he scored a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. (Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images)
These quarterbacks combined for eight total touchdown passes. It was Jackson providing five of them in an incredible performance to bolster his own MVP resume.
Jackson was 17-of-22 through the air for 281 yards, finding his tight end Mark Andrews twice for a touchdown, while Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, and Rashod Bateman each caught their own score from their dynamic quarterback as well.
Meanwhile, the Bucs’ key pieces that were lost in this game were Mayfield’s top two targets, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, the latter of which could be done for the rest of the season after head coach Todd Bowles revealed early indications that he suffered a dislocated ankle with 43 seconds left in the game.
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The ESPN broadcast wouldn’t even show Godwin’s injury, though the initial view saw his ankle in the wrong direction after Patrick Queen rolled up on it while making a tackle. He was quickly placed in an air cast and carted off the field.
Evans, who was already dealing with a hamstring injury entering Monday night, hauled in his only catch for a touchdown on a 25-yard strike to open the scoring in this game on the Bucs’ first drive. But, two drives later, he couldn’t haul in another deep touchdown pass from Mayfield and he immediately clutched his right leg after being called by Brandon Stephens, who was also injured on the play.
Evans was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game.
For the Ravens, Zay Flowers got banged up on the Ravens’ opening drive after an 11-yard catch, where replay showed he had his ankle rolled up on. He would only get one target from Jackson on the night, but No. 8 was spreading the ball around to his receivers as he dissected Tampa Bay’s defense to the pleasure of all Ravens fans.
Bateman needed just four catches to rack up a game-high 121 yards with his touchdown that went for 49 yards in the third quarter. He hauled in a 59-yard bomb down the field from Jackson in the first half, too, after the quarterback scrambled out of a broken pocket and directed him mid-play to get him open.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin (14) is stopped by Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker, rear, after a reception during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
It also appears Andrews, Jackson’s trustee tight end from years past, is getting more involved by the week, as he had another solid game with his two scores and 41 yards on four catches.
And, of course, the NFL’s best rushing offense saw Henry have another elite game with 169 yards on the ground on just 15 carries, including an 81-yard sprint down the field before he was stopped.
Mayfield did his best to get back into this game, though, as Jackson and the Ravens’ offense racked up a 34-10 lead near the end of the third quarter.
The Bucs scored 21 fourth-quarter points, as Rachaad White hauled in two touchdown passes from Mayfield, while his running back counterpart Bucky Irving also got in from one yard out.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs with the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. ( Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)
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It was all for naught in the end, and the loss of Godwin, who owns the second-most receiving yards in the NFL this season after adding 65 yards to his 2024 total, and Evans piled on to the defeat at home for a top team in the NFC.
Meanwhile, the Ravens now own a five-game win streak after starting the year 0-2.
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