Chase McLaughlin kicked three field goals, including a 39-yarder as time expired, to give the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a 38-35 victory against the host Seattle Seahawks on Sunday as both teams celebrated their 50th anniversaries by wearing throwback uniforms.
Baker Mayfield completed 29 of 33 passes for 379 yards and two touchdowns for the Buccaneers (4-1). He hit Sterling Shepard with an 11-yard scoring strike with 1:08 remaining to tie the score at 35.
The Bucs got the ball back on Lavonte David’s interception on a ball that deflected off the helmet of teammate Logan Hall at the line of scrimmage to set up the winning kick.
Sam Darnold was 28-of-34 passing for 341 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions for the Seahawks (3-2), who had a three-game winning streak snapped. AJ Barner caught two scoring passes for Seattle.
This marked the first game in NFL history that both quarterbacks threw for at least 325 yards and completed at least 80 percent of their passes. McLaughlin’s game-winning field goal made Tampa Bay the first NFL team to claim each of its first four wins with a game-winning score in the final minute of regulation, though this game’s momentum changed hands several times before reaching that point.
The Bucs drove into the red zone on each of their first two possessions, but they had to settle for McLaughlin field goals of 30 and 36 yards.
Tampa Bay extended its lead to 13-0 on a 7-yard run around the left end by Rachaad White with 2:09 left in the half. White served as the Bucs’ lead back with Bucky Irving sidelined by foot and shoulder injuries.
The Seahawks scored on Darnold’s 6-yard slant to Jaxon Smith-Njigba (eight catches, 132 yards) in the back of the end zone with 6 seconds left in the half.
The Seahawks took the second-half kickoff and went 77 yards in just four plays, taking a 14-13 lead after Zach Charbonnet’s 5-yard run up the middle.
The Bucs regained the lead on Mayfield’s 20-yard scoring strike to Emeka Egbuka. The duo connected on a two-point conversion to make it 21-14.
The Seahawks tied it at 21 on a 2-yard TD pass from Darnold to Barner.
Tampa Bay moved back out front as White took a pitch to the left and scored on a 1-yard run with 19 seconds left in the third quarter to make it 28-21. A 57-yard pass to Egbuka down to the 2 was the key play.
Darnold’s 6-yard TD pass to Barner knotted the score at 28 with 9:48 remaining. After Seattle forced the game’s third and final punt, Darnold threw a 21-yard TD pass to rookie Tory Horton on fourth-and-2 with 3:18 remaining to cap an eight-play, 99-yard drive and put Seattle up 35-28.
–Field Level Media
