Preparation enables clutch plays.

That was so cool to see last week. On the road. Less than a minute left. Bucs need a touchdown to take the lead.

And that’s just what the got when Baker Mayfield connected with Emeka Egbuka for the game-winning score, 23-20. That delivered a Week 1 win over the Dixie Chicks.

Last week, speaking with the local pen and mic club, Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard said the Bucs were ready to score late because the Bucs’ defense molded the offense.

Grizzard said the offense would always go up against the first-team defense in two-minute drills in practice. That conditioned the offense to score late.

“We work those situations so much out [on the practice field], especially in training camp versus our own defense,” Grizzard said.

And because of that, the Bucs’ offense, Grizzard said, had confidence.

“Just the belief that we’re all connected, we know what plays we’re going to get to, we know what we’re trying to attack, we have the belief [that] the O-line is going to hold up in protection,” Grizzard said. “We need protection fixes from the back to be able to hold up, to be able to ultimately get first downs and right there be able to get points to win the game, which was huge and great to see.

“Everybody was just calm – we’ve done this a bunch of times. Let’s put together some completions, get on the ball, and go from there.”

If the Bucs defense gave the offense confidence and the necessary edge, what happened to the defense when the Dixie Chicks got the ball back after Egbuka’s touchdown catch?

If not for a fantastic play by Antoine Winfield, who knows how that game turns out?

Let’s hope the Bucs can get a comfortable lead in the fourth quarter tonight, where neither the offense nor the defense will be forced to rely on heroics to win.