Buccaneers Rally Past Eagles Late, Set Divisional Clash With Cowboys

TAMPA BAY, FL - Tampa Bay entered the fourth quarter trailing and with its season hanging in the balance. Forty-five minutes later, Raymond James Stadium was celebrating one of the weekend's biggest comebacks.

The Buccaneers erased a three-point deficit in the final quarter, scoring 10 unanswered points to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 24-20 on a walk-off 35-yard field goal by Jason Sanders as time expired. Tampa Bay now advances to the Divisional Round, where a road matchup with the top-seeded Dallas Cowboys awaits.

"We stayed calm," Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield said after the win. "Nobody in that huddle felt like the game was over. We knew if we got one drive, then another, we could flip it."

Mayfield sparks fourth-quarter turnaround

Philadelphia controlled much of the first half and appeared to be in command entering halftime.

Jake Elliott opened the scoring with a 30-yard field goal before Mayfield answered with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Luke Musgrave midway through the opening quarter. The Eagles regained control on a 36-yard touchdown connection between Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley, then extended the lead in the second quarter when Hurts found Jalen Tolbert for a 13-yard score.

Tampa Bay cut into the deficit in the third quarter when Mayfield broke loose for a 28-yard touchdown run, trimming the lead to 17-14 entering the final period.

"The message was simple - keep fighting," Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said. "We had been moving the ball. We just needed one spark."

The Buccaneers finally seized momentum midway through the fourth. With 8:29 remaining, Mayfield capped a long drive with a four-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Ruckert, giving Tampa Bay its first lead since the opening quarter.

Philadelphia responded immediately. Jake Elliott drilled a 49-yard field goal with 4:41 left to put the Eagles back in front 20-17 and briefly quiet the crowd.

"We answered every time for most of the night," Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts said. "We just didn't finish the last series the way we needed to."

Mayfield and the Buccaneers had one final answer. Tampa Bay methodically moved into range during the closing minutes before Sanders connected on the game-winning field goal as time expired, completing the comeback and sending the Buccaneers into the next round.

Defense flips the game

The turning point came early in the fourth quarter.

Philadelphia opened the period driving into Buccaneers territory before disaster struck. Jalen Hurts lost the football at the Tampa Bay 43-yard line, where Elijah Roberts recovered the fumble and gave the Buccaneers new life.

"That changed everything," Roberts said. "You get a takeaway in the playoffs and momentum swings fast. We felt it right away."

The Tampa Bay defense built on that momentum the rest of the night. The pass rush consistently disrupted Hurts, recording five sacks led by Calijah Kancey's two-sack performance. Steven Long, Sam Belfort, and Roberts each added sacks as the pressure mounted late.

The Eagles managed only a field goal after the turnover and were unable to produce another touchdown drive.

"We had chances and didn't capitalize," Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. "Credit Tampa Bay - they made the plays late."

Mayfield delivers in playoff spotlight

Mayfield turned in one of his strongest postseason performances, finishing 23-of-32 for 272 passing yards and two touchdowns while adding another score on the ground.

Jalen McMillan led Tampa Bay receivers with 92 yards, while Musgrave added a touchdown reception and Jeremy Ruckert caught the eventual go-ahead score.

"Baker was locked in," Ruckert said. "There was no panic. You could feel everybody believing."

Hurts kept Philadelphia in control for much of the evening, throwing for 275 yards and two touchdowns while adding production as a runner. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith both made key catches throughout the game, but the late turnover and Tampa Bay's surge proved too much to overcome.

Philadelphia led entering the fourth quarter, but Tampa Bay owned the finish.

Up Next

The Buccaneers advance to the Divisional Round where they will travel to face the top-seeded Dallas Cowboys. Tampa Bay enters the matchup with momentum after one of Wild Card Weekend's biggest comebacks, while Philadelphia's season comes to an end in Tampa.