Baker Mayfield Said He And Emeka Egbuka Were Ready To Spring The Play That Won The Game
September 7th, 2025
Went for the kill shot.
Emeka Egbuka’s 25-yard touchdown catch from Baker Mayfield turned out to be the winning play for the Bucs. That play, Mayfield said, was brewing for some time in the second half.
Speaking on the Buccaneers Radio Network, Mayfield said Egbuka ran the same route earlier in the second half and he didn’t get the ball to him. Mayfield said to himself (and later to Egbuka) he was putting that play in his hip pocket. If the Dixie Chicks showed the same look later, Mayfield would spring it loose.
So on the game-winning drive for the Bucs, Atlanta gave Mayfield that same look. As Mayfield broke the huddle, he said he nodded at Egbuka. And the rookie (in name only) nodded back, Mayfield knew it was on.
And BOOM! Egbuka hauls the ball in for his second touchdown of the game giving the Bucs a 23-20 lead.
Todd Bowles, of course, raved on the Buccaneers Radio Network how Egbuka certainly didn’t act like a rookie in his first game and if Mayfield and Egbuka are already on the same page like that, look out NFL!
“If they are doing that early in the season, that is great for us,” Bowles said. “And it is just going to benefit us going forward.”
As far as Mayfield and Egbuka going for the throat of the Dixie Chicks, Bowles said that is exactly what the team wanted to do today.
“We didn’t go for the kill last year [at Atlanta],” Bowles said. “I thought we played it safe.
“We messed up some things. But we didn’t come down here to tie and go to overtime.”
As for Egbuka, Mayfield said he’s not a rookie.
“Hell no!” Mayfield said. “We are blessed to have him.”
September 7th, 2025 at 5:08 pm
Big kudos to Winfield Jr. too. We are definitely blessed to have Buka.
September 7th, 2025 at 5:10 pm
Bucs will be lucky to win 3 games this season, awful defense, can’t stop a cold
September 7th, 2025 at 5:10 pm
I haven’t watched. But why isn’t he ready with Cam Brate and Mike Evans and you know….everyone else?
September 7th, 2025 at 5:11 pm
Thank you Licht!!
September 7th, 2025 at 5:13 pm
Cam Brate?
September 7th, 2025 at 5:14 pm
1 – 0
We are just getting started.
LFG!!!!
September 7th, 2025 at 5:15 pm
Putrid Pass Defense didn’t look much different. Had trouble getting off the field on third downs.
September 7th, 2025 at 5:16 pm
Time to make the switch to Teddy Bridgewater, in Teddy we trust
September 7th, 2025 at 5:16 pm
What an intense game….GJ Baker but at times, those overthrows….. um, gotta get dialed in bro. Maybe the rust was worked out after this one.
Now onto the next one. GJ guys….too intense of a game.
September 7th, 2025 at 5:18 pm
Great start for those 2 forsure.
I expect better things next week. That was a slow tentative start. Baker was not on and we are lucky it didn’t cost us. Balls behind Evans and Egbuka, sailing a couple, one to Shepard and that missed TD with Otton.
Hopefully Grizzard shook the cobwebs. Wirfs can’t return fast enough! Help open holes in the run game. Falcons were all over our screen and check down game as well.
Pass rush was mediocre again. Penix has great body control, painful TD drive for them but he dove and extended perfectly twice. We were blowing it but a lot of guys don’t make those plays. Sirvoccea Dennis … smh, clean it up pal.
September 7th, 2025 at 5:20 pm
Yeah Winfield saved the game for us jude.
September 7th, 2025 at 5:21 pm
Eeek earned his pick.
September 7th, 2025 at 5:23 pm
Soooo, I learned a new rule today…..
Did anyone ever hear this garbage that a QB diving head-first while stretching the ball out is considered “giving himself up” ???? Therefore if they fumble the ball, it doesn’t count??
That’s the biggest BS I’ve ever heard…..
That shoulda been a fumble into the cone and a touchback for the Bucs at their own 20 yard line….
The officials decide to make up this outlandish call to try to help the Falcons and it almost worked….
As usual, the refs are already at it to try & screwover the Bucs….
September 7th, 2025 at 5:23 pm
A bit of a sloppy game overall for the Bucs . Mayfield looked sloppy at times and the pass rush was not consistent. The offense played just barely enough to win. Same for the defense. Luckily Atlanta was inconsistent
too. Both teams had very good moments but both teams made too many mistakes. I thought the Atlanta qb showed more talent than Baker. The kickers hurt both teams. Penix out shined Baker. But the Bucs their only contender in their division which is huge!!! A sloppy win is Waaay better than a loss!!!
September 7th, 2025 at 5:23 pm
EE and Evans are about the only guys that actually showed up.
Rest of the team should be embarrassed by how sloppy that was.
Don’t understand how you can have a defensive head coach with an entire defense that doesnt know how to tackle. They looked pathetic.
September 7th, 2025 at 5:24 pm
“Bucs will be lucky to win 3 games this season, awful defense, can’t stop a cold“
Man shut up it’s week one, it’s the first game they played together since the commanders game and they hung on long enough for our offense to do something with the ball.
Bijan Robinson 12 carries for 24 yards
Drake London 55 yards on 8 catches.
More importantly week 1 = W
September 7th, 2025 at 5:28 pm
Warren Brook no one was addressing you cupcake, now kiss the ring and shut up
September 7th, 2025 at 5:29 pm
Teddy is a better QB I imagine by the bye he will be starting
September 7th, 2025 at 5:30 pm
I think everyone will be talking about this game for days. it was insane. So many twists and turns, reviews, new rules I didn’t know about, and so much more. I saw their kicker throw his helmet down to the ground at the end. So glad we didn’t have to go into overtime.
September 7th, 2025 at 5:31 pm
I think everyone should remember that it is a first game, and the starters did not play in the preseason. The win is the only thing that counts!
September 7th, 2025 at 5:32 pm
Good lord, except for maybe 15 plays during the preseason none of the starters played. So it’s going to take a few quarters for this team to jell together. No I don’t think they play well today. I don’t think they will win ever game. I do believe we have a shot at winning it all but definitely going to need some balls to bounce our way and some better play from both the offense and especially the defense. Let’s go bucs really football is back.
September 7th, 2025 at 5:32 pm
Aqualung gives kudos to Todd and the defense. No, not perfect by any stretch. Still too many yards, but dudes were showing up and making plays, getting screwed over by the refs and winning anyway. That’s tough as nails stuff, and like someone said, Game Ball to Koo. He saved his fellow kicker from eating goat butt today.
September 7th, 2025 at 5:38 pm
“What an intense game….GJ Baker but at times, those overthrows….. um, gotta get dialed in bro.“
Just part of his game at this point in his career and if it hasn’t improved yet, it’s not going to at least not drastically at this point in his career.
Salute to him though, I’m a lot less patient with him than other, but Baker hung in behind that patchwork OL and did enough to contribute to getting the W.
September 7th, 2025 at 5:40 pm
Bucfan1988, that rule changed in 2018. It’s the same as a slide, should be down where he began dive though, which would have been short of marker.
September 7th, 2025 at 5:40 pm
Jack is angry the Bucs won. After all after him saying they would lose and get back with him at 430 after the game he now looks the same as his brother Jeff. Total troll .
September 7th, 2025 at 5:44 pm
Way to go Aqualung!
September 7th, 2025 at 5:48 pm
I wonder if people say stupid stuff on here just to get others to talk to them?
September 7th, 2025 at 5:49 pm
I have a dog named Jack, and I’d trust his judgement over any other Jack. Lol!
September 7th, 2025 at 5:50 pm
DBS, jack saying “kiss the ring” should be all we need to know. He’s an aints fan.
September 7th, 2025 at 5:52 pm
Jackmeoff- want to put some money on ur tard prediction of 3 wins? Hope you get yourself worked out.
September 7th, 2025 at 5:54 pm
You probably like to do more than trust with Teddy
September 7th, 2025 at 5:59 pm
Defense was great other than that first drive. Don’t know what anybody is talking about. Offense needs some time.
September 7th, 2025 at 5:59 pm
Why call a time out so a ‘video assist’ can wipe out a catch?
September 7th, 2025 at 6:01 pm
Hey Jack go troll under the bridges douche canoe. The D played great today, Pennix got the ball out fast but our guys were right there, no soft coverage today. Dennis played really well, so did Dean. McCollum missed 2 easy int’s, one of which should have stopped the FG, that’s why Bowles rants about them. The D actually carry the O today, I think to a certain degree. BS call o the D but that’s life. They stiffened all game long so no complaints on that side of the ball.
September 7th, 2025 at 6:11 pm
@Colonel Angus: 100% correct. He should have been marked down at the beginning of the dive. (unless they tweaked the rule)
September 7th, 2025 at 6:18 pm
Why wouldn’t they be told to dive every time instead of sliding with the big difference in spot of the ball?
September 7th, 2025 at 7:00 pm
Jack Meoff , I will put money down that the Bucs win more than 3.
I’m not happy with the defense either but they did play better than last year (a little bit). That first TD by Atlanta was a direct result of Bowles pushing ints all preseason. The DB went for the pick and got burned. Can’t do that without having a safety help behind you. Also not happy Bowles called a timeout when he knew that pass was close. He should of had them go hurry up and snap the ball but instead he called timeout and that gave Raheem time to see it and throw the challenge flag. Bad situational awareness. Bucs will be okay but they definitely looked like a team that had almost zero starters play in the preseason. 5 starters out and still won. They will be okay as long as we don’t have more injuries.
September 7th, 2025 at 7:03 pm
Don’t throw that tool bag hand job any comments back he’s getting frustrated and will shrivel like a plant in a dark room with nobody getting hooked by his beyond obvious outlandish takes for attention…I feel sorry for him already at week one…fall in line boys
September 7th, 2025 at 7:09 pm
As someone who won’t hesitate to critique Mayfield, that type of throw is what I would LOVE to see from him on a much more frequently and on consistent basis.
Let your guys go make the play on the ball, the plays will happen because the talent is there to make it happen.
September 7th, 2025 at 7:42 pm
There’s a fan video from the upper decks of the play, so you can see the Falcon’s coverage, and they basically had three guys on Evans as a LB came in under, and the safety ran up to help in coverage on Evans, leaving e2 in single coverage to get the score. I didn’t notice Baker pump the ball or anything in real time, so I’m not sure what the safety saw to make them bite and run up, but glad they did.
September 7th, 2025 at 8:11 pm
As bad as some of it was, thank goodness we are 1-0!!!!!!
September 7th, 2025 at 9:24 pm
Overall we played poorly and still won a game on the road.
That’s what good teams do…..Go Buccaneers!!
September 7th, 2025 at 10:55 pm
Did anyone ever hear this garbage that a QB diving head-first while stretching the ball out is considered “giving himself up” ???? Therefore if they fumble the ball, it doesn’t count??
The Glazers need to bring this up to the rules Committee. Seems like BS
September 8th, 2025 at 11:35 am
Can we get this “Jack Meoff” outta here
September 8th, 2025 at 1:38 pm
I get a kick out of these post like u guys r the know it all bosses they won on the road we MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING RITE!!! WHAT A BUNCH OF JACKASSES ON THIS SITE
September 8th, 2025 at 1:44 pm
23 points I wud say the offense did exactly what they needed to do otherwise that final score wud have read much differently