After finishing the 2023 season on a hot streak, the Bucs returned to Raymond James Stadium Sunday afternoon looking to open up 2024 on the right foot. They did exactly that, rolling right past the Washington Commanders, 37-20, for a franchise-record fourth straight opening-day win.

Tampa Bay scored on seven of its eight offensive possessions prior to the final one in which it simply killed the clock, with Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin fueling the team as it rolled to a 1-0 start to the year. And for its part, the Bucs defense held Jayden Daniels in check in the passing game despite suffering three injuries at the cornerback position. He only really hurt them with his legs, but even then, the visitors were never really in it.

Here’s a recap of all the action from Sunday’s season-opening victory.

Bucs 37, Commanders 20

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs offense got off to a good start after receiving the opening kickoff, with a Commanders penalty giving them one first down before Baker Mayfield connected with Chris Godwin for another. But Mayfield missed a wide-open Jalen McMillan on third down after that, leaving Tampa Bay to settle for a 56-yard Chase McLaughlin field goal. Nonetheless, the Bucs led 3-0 after about three and a half minutes.

Tampa Bay’s defense then got off to a hot start, thanks in large part to a backwards pass that cost Washington 15 yards on first down. After a quick three-and-out, Mayfield and the offense got the ball back at their own 38.

It didn’t take long to get back in scoring position, as Mayfield and Mike Evans connected for gains of 13 and 24 yards. But a Trey Palmer holding penalty cost the Bucs a goal-to-go situation and they eventually had to settle for another field goal. McLaughlin knocked this one through from 34 yards out, extending the lead to 6-0 with 5:08 left in the opening quarter.

The Commanders offense got rolling a little bit on their next drive, with all of the damage coming from Daniels’ legs. But after a block-in-the-back call cost them a third-down conversion deep in Buccaneer territory, Daniels missed Olamide Zaccheaus on third down. Cade York then missed a 47-yard field goal attempt, keeping it a 6-0 Tampa Bay lead as the first quarter came to a close.

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Bucs quickly breezed down the field to open the second quarter, with Godwin and Rachaad White both picking up first downs to get the ball inside the red zone. From there, the Mayfield to Evans connection struck again as Evans fought through contact to bring down a 17-yard touchdown catch that extended the lead to 13-0.

Washington moved the ball again on its next possession, with Daniels continuing to do damage on the ground. Runs of 16 and 12 yards — with a personal foul tacked onto the end of one — plus a 22-yard pass to Austin Ekeler set the visitors up for their first score. With 7:17 to go in the first half, Brian Robinson Jr. found the end zone with a 7-yard run to get the Commanders within 13-7.

The Bucs offense did a good job on the clock after getting the ball back, driving down the field methodically as both Evans and especially Godwin made some plays to keep the chains moving. But after a Cade Otton false start set them back to 3rd & 8, the drive came to an end. The lead did grow to 16-7, though, as a 29-yard McLaughlin field goal ended a possession that took 7:01 off the clock. That’s where the half ended, with the home team up by nine.

Commanders QB Jayden Daniels – Photo by: USA Today

Washington opened the second half by driving into Tampa Bay territory again, and Todd Bowles’ defense lost its third cornerback of the day in the process. After Zyon McCollum left the game early with a concussion and Josh Hayes was ruled out with an ankle injury, Bryce Hall was taken off the field on a cart without putting any pressure on his leg. He was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game with an ankle injury.

After the Commanders got as far as the Bucs’ 38-yard line, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka came up with a big sack to bring them back to a 3rd & 18. The defense held strong from there, forcing another York field goal try. This one — a 56-yard attempt — also went wide, keeping it a 16-7 game even after a drive that took 5:39 off the clock.

The Bucs took advantage of good field position after the missed kick, getting down the field with a chunk run by White and a pass interference/facemask penalty drawn by McMillan. They then cashed in and extended the lead, with Mayfield finding Godwin from four yards out to make it 23-7. That touchdown catch gave Godwin the second-most in franchise history, meaning he now only trails Evans.

The Commanders weren’t going to go quietly, of course. After the two teams traded punts, they got within 23-14 on a 1-yard touchdown run by Daniels that capped off a six-play, 60-yard drive.

The Bucs responded, though, looking to put the visitors in the dirt for good. After a 32-yard catch-and-run by White, McMillan broke free and found himself wide-open for a 32-yard touchdown — the first of his career — to put Tampa Bay up 30-14 with 14:55 left in the game.

Bucs OC Liam Coen and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Todd Bowles’ defense stood tall in response, too, with SirVocea Dennis picking up a sack on second down before delivering a big hit on Ekeler to force a Washington punt. And the Bucs kept pouring it on. A 32-yard run by Bucky Irving, a 24-yard catch-and-run by Godwin and an eventual 1-yard touchdown pass from Mayfield to Evans made it 37-14 after a 12-play, 91-yard drive that took 7:38 off the clock.

The Commanders added a garbage-time touchdown with 1:12 to go, but missed the two-point conversion. That made it a final score of 37-20 in favor of the Bucs.

Baker Mayfield was lights-out for Tampa Bay, finishing the day 24-of-30 for 289 yards and four touchdowns with no turnovers. Chris Godwin was the team’s leading receiver, catching eight passes for 83 yards and a touchdown, while Mike Evans added 61 yards and two touchdowns on five catches and rookie Jalen McMillan added a score of his own.

The run game was largely inefficient for the first three quarters, but rookie Bucky Irving broke a couple of big runs in the fourth quarter and finished with 62 yards on nine carries (6.9 avg.). Rachaad White ran for only 31 yards on 15 carries (2.1 avg.), but caught all six of his targets for 75 yards.

Defensively, Tampa Bay had a hard time containing Jayden Daniels on the ground. The rookie ran for 88 yards and two touchdowns in his first career start, but he was limited to 17-of-24 passing for just 184 yards and no touchdowns through the air. Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and SirVocea Dennis racked up a sack each, and the Commanders were just 2-of-8 on third downs. The Bucs, on the other hand, were 9-of-13 on money downs.

The Bucs (1-0) will now turn their attention toward Week 2, when they will head to Detroit looking to exact revenge against the Lions. Kickoff for next Sunday’s contest is set for 1:00 p.m.

Got the W for Tampa Bay ‼️ pic.twitter.com/6hOquaFeGO

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 8, 2024