While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost two key pieces of their offense Monday night, Lamar Jackson was absolutely cooking on offense to lead the Baltimore Ravens to a 41-31 victory.
The Ravens are now 5-2 so far this year, while the Bucs fell to 4-3.
This was the definition of a primetime matchup, as Jackson and Baker Mayfield, two quarterbacks who are MVP candidates right now, faced off in the Sunshine State.
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Quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) congratulates Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman (7) after scoring a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. (Images by Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn)
These quarterbacks combined for eight total touchdown passes. It was Jackson who provided five of them in an incredible performance to bolster his own MVP resume.
Jackson completed 17 of 22 passing passes for 281 yards, finding his tight end Mark Andrews twice for a touchdown, while Derrick Henry, Justice Hill and Rashod Bateman also each caught their own score from their dynamic quarterback.
Meanwhile, the key Bucs pieces missing in this game were Mayfield's two top targets, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, the latter of whom could be out for the rest of the season after head coach Todd Bowles revealed the first signs that he suffered a dislocated ankle with 43 seconds left in the game.
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The ESPN broadcast didn't even show Godwin's injury, although the initial view saw his ankle facing the wrong direction after Patrick Queen rolled up while making a tackle. They quickly put him in an air cast and carried him off the field.
Evans, who was already dealing with a hamstring injury entering Monday night, had his only touchdown reception on a 25-yard strike to open the scoring in this game on the Bucs' first drive. But two series later, he failed to catch another deep touchdown pass from Mayfield and immediately grabbed his right leg after being called out by Brandon Stephens, who was also injured on the play.
Evans was quickly ruled out for the rest of the game.
For the Ravens, Zay Flowers was hit on the Ravens' first drive after an 11-yard reception, where replay showed his ankle was rolled. He would only receive one target from Jackson that night, but No. 8 was spreading the ball among his receivers while dissecting Tampa Bay's defense to the delight of all Ravens fans.
Bateman needed just four receptions to gain a game-high 121 yards, with his touchdown going 49 yards in the third quarter. He also caught a 59-yard bomb down the field from Jackson in the first half, after the quarterback came out of a broken pocket and drove it mid-play to open it up.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin (14) is stopped by Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker, back, after a reception during the first half of an NFL football game, the Monday, October 21, 2024, in Tampa, Florida. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
It also appears that Andrews, Jackson's trusty tight end from years past, is getting more involved each week, as he had another solid game with his two touchdowns and 41 yards on four receptions.
And of course, the NFL's best rushing offense saw Henry have another elite game with 169 rushing yards on just 15 carries, including an 81-yard sprint down the field before being stopped.
However, Mayfield did his best to get back into this game, as Jackson and the Ravens offense built a 34-10 lead near the end of the third quarter.
The Bucs scored 21 points in the fourth quarter, when Rachaad White caught two touchdown passes from Mayfield, while running back counterpart Bucky Irving also caught from a yard out.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs with the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)
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In the end, it was all for naught, and the loss of Godwin, who owns the second-most receiving yards in the NFL this season after adding 65 yards to his 2024 total, and Evans added to the loss at home for a top team. in the NFC.
Meanwhile, the Ravens now own a five-game winning streak after starting the year 0-2.
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