The NFL teams that shouldn't be as good as they are Andrew GreifOctober 7, 2025 at 4:05 AM 0 Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield throws against the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle on Sunday.
- - The NFL teams that shouldn't be as good as they are
Andrew GreifOctober 7, 2025 at 4:05 AM
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield throws against the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle on Sunday. (Stephen Brashear / AP)
A little more than three minutes remained in their Week 5 game Sunday when the Seattle Seahawks made a critical error: They scored a touchdown, taking a late lead over Tampa Bay.
Last season such a predicament would most likely have doomed the Buccaneers, who were 3-5 in games decided by one score or less and won just two games after trailing in the fourth quarter.
Yet this season, the Buccaneers have transformed into one of the most clutch teams in NFL history. Over the final three minutes Sunday, quarterback Baker Mayfield threw a touchdown pass to take back the lead, and the Buccaneers defense intercepted a tipped pass, which set up Tampa Bay's game-winning field goal as time expired.
The win improved the Buccaneers to 4-1 — with all four wins coming via scores in the final minute of regulation, an NFL record. No other team in NFL history has started 4-1 while winning each game by three points or fewer.
"You don't ever want to play games that close, but early in the year all these games are going to be tough, they're going to be one-score games," coach Todd Bowles told reporters Monday. "Last year we didn't pull them out. This year, we've been finding a way to win."
And yet Tampa's path to 4-1, tied for the league's best record, might not even be the most unlikely.
Coming off a year in which its Super Bowl hopes were wrecked by a litany of broken bones and strained ligaments, the San Francisco 49ers found themselves staring down a similar problem after just Week 1 last month, when their starting quarterback, Brock Purdy, was sidelined by an injured toe. Star tight end George Kittle was added to the injury list next.
In their most recent game, in Week 5, the 49ers were "wounded, down a bunch of guys," linebacker Fred Warner said — and then two more defensive linemen went down to injury, as well.
Despite the attrition, the 49ers won in overtime on the road against the Los Angeles Rams and are now 4-1. Their three-game winning streak has been led by backup quarterback Mac Jones.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones passes against the Los Angeles Rams in Inglewood, Calif., on Thursday. (Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP)
"I just think it's the way we coach everybody the same so when the next man is up, there's no drop-off, for real," cornerback Deommodore Lenoir said Monday. "In our room, when somebody go down, we never lose hope."
Fittingly, one of the marquee matchups of Week 6 is one few would have expected entering the season: San Francisco's visit to Tampa.
Despite their sterling records, both the 49ers and the Buccaneers have negative values in DVOA, an advanced statistic that evaluates teams against league averages. Other metrics suggests these teams shouldn't be this good, either: The 49ers have committed more turnovers than they've gained and have outscored their opponents by a total of eight points this season. The Buccaneers have cut it even closer, outscoring opponents by just three; the only teams with winning records that own worse point differentials are the Los Angeles Chargers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Tampa's ability to win despite trailing in the final minute of every victory thus far could be scrutinized as luck. Their three-point win to open the season against Atlanta came after the Falcons missed a game-tying field goal. In Week 3, the Buccaneers committed 14 penalties and gave up a 17-point lead, only to hold on against the winless New York Jets, who were playing without their starting quarterback.
Yet the Buccaneers have also displayed toughness. They won Sunday while missing a top running back and two starting offensive linemen yet didn't allow a sack.
In the final two minutes of regulation, Mayfield this season has completed 15 of 20 passes for 169 yards, two touchdowns and a passer rating of 133.1. No other quarterback has led more than two fourth-quarter comebacks this season. Mayfield has four.
"He understands what he's doing in two-minute [situations]. There's no panic, so there's no panic in anybody else," Bowles said. "He really breathes life into everybody that's out on the field."
Tampa Bay's Emeka Egbuka is now the only receiver in NFL history with at least 25 catches and five receiving touchdowns in his first five games, according to the NFL. He also joined Ja'Marr Chase, Terry McLaurin and Randy Moss as the only rookie receivers in league history to amass at least 400 yards through their first five games.
"As long as we have time on the clock, we've got a chance," Mayfield said, "and our guys truly, truly believe that from the bottom of their hearts."
Source: "AOL Sports"
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