‘You’ve got to f-cking be sh-tting me’ — Todd Bowles relates to all Tampa Bay fans with candid response to crucial moment in Bucs’ win over Jets
It was an understandable take after a wild moment.
Sunday was one of the wildest days in recent NFL memory. Defenses and special teams units across the league came up with impact players, turning many of them into touchdowns.
That included Sunday afternoon inside Raymond James Stadium against the New York Jets. And unfortunately for the Bucs, such an impact moment went against them instead of in their favor. With Tampa Bay leading 26-20 with 2 minutes remaining in the game, Connor McLaughlin readied for a field goal attempt that would all but clinch the win for Tampa Bay. The ball was snapped, but Will McDonald IV leapt over the line and blocked the kick. The ball bounced backwards, and McDonald picked it up in stride and ran 54 yards for an improbable go-ahead touchdown.
And Tampa Bay’s Todd Bowles mind in that moment went along with what many Bucs fans were thinking at the same time.
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles has a profanity-laced description of his thinking during the Jets’ field goal block and touchdown
“My thoughts when he was running for a touchdown? Excuse my language, but you’re got to f-cking be sh-tting me,” Bowles said after the game. “But then after that, you see how much time is on the clock, and you calm down, and you try and win the game.”
The block and touchdown return gave the Jets their first lead since a 3-0 first quarter lead. It saw them give up their third fourth quarter lead this year, this time by a 21-3-point differential in the quarter. The Bucs’ offense went stagnant without Mike Evans – who suffered a hamstring injury – and their defense get overwhelmed by a resurgent New York offense.
But the Bucs did what they have done the last two weeks – put the ball in Baker Mayfield’s hands and watch good things happen. Mayfield connected with Emeka Egbuka, who was iffy coming into the game with hip and groin injuries, for a 28-yard catch to get into field goal range. He got it much closer after a screen to Sterling Shepard that went for 18 yards when the Jets were blitzing.
And with one more chance at redemption, McLaughlin – who’s been under fire early in the season – and the field goal unit came through with the winner as time expired for a 29-27 win.
It wasn’t pretty for the Buccaneers towards the end, and Bowles and the fans were surely thinking or mumbling the same thing in the game’s final two minutes.
But Baker Mayfield did what he does lately – make sure that the Bucs and their fans end their weeks on a high note.
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