A game happened in Seattle today. And what a game it was. The winner was in doubt straight up until the final play of the game, as the Bucs have played all season. And as it has happened on almost every occasion this year, the Bucs pulled it out in the end. Here are the most impressive players and coaches who led to that victory.

QB Baker Mayfield

This was absolutely the best game of Baker Mayfield’s career. He had to be perfect. And he was. Think of all of the descriptors you could ascribe to a quarterback and he embodied them all and then some.

Efficient? Check

Surgical? Check, check.

Pushed the ball downfield. Three for three.

Clutch? All the checks. He had to be perfect on the day and he was that and so much more.

Mayfield led the game off with a methodical drive that netted three points for the offense. He was impressive in his efficiency, completing all six of his passes for 57 yards and scrambling for another five. Against a defense that is known for forcing turnovers, Mayfield kept the ball out of harm’s way while peppering the middle of the field as the Bucs offense moved down field easily.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

He kept up his Houdini act on the second drive with a fantastic escape and scramble on 3rd and 4, picking up eight yards and a first down. That was a key play that helped the Bucs eventually get another field goal, taking a 6-0 lead early in the second quarter.

After the Bucs gave up the lead in the 3rd quarter, Mayfield led an incredible nine-play, 77-yard drive for a touchdown and a two-point conversion to put the Bucs back up 21-14. He was perfect on the drive, going 6-of-6 for 73 yards and a touchdown, including perfect ball placement on both of his deep targets; a 27-yard strike to Tez Johnson and an even more precise dart to Emeka Egbuka for the 20-yard score to end the drive.

Mayfield wasn’t done either, hitting Egbuka again on the following offensive drive on a 57-yard bomb to the Seattle two-yard line on a critical 3rd and 13 after the Seahawks had seemingly taken the momentum back the drive prior.

He followed that up with a five play, 70-yard touchdown drive. Mayfield was 4-of-5 for 70 yards with his second touchdown pass of the game. On the game, Mayfield was 29-of-33 for 379 yards, averaging 11.5 yards per attempt. That performance earned him a 134.7 QB rating for the day. Through five weeks, Mayfield is playing on another level.

S Tykee Smith And LB Lavonte David

The turnover battle was always going to be the crux of who won and lost this game. Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds made it one of the most important parts of his FAB Five this week. Logical thinking had the Seahawks, who were near the top of the NFL in turnover differential, as the favored team in this area. But that was not to be, as the Bucs did not give the ball away at all and Smith and David came up with crucial turnovers in big moments of the game.

Bucs SS Tykee Smith – Photo by: USA Today

For Smith to close quickly on a botched pitch from Jalen Milroe to Kenneth Walker III and scoop the loose ball was an incredibly pivotal play in this game. The Seahawks were almost in scoring range and could have cut their deficit in half or even taken the lead. Instead, the Bucs got the ball back and score on the ensuing drive to go up 13-0.

David then put the final nail in the coffin with an interception of a Sam Darnold pass that was deflected to kill the Seahawks’ final drive – a drive that likely would have ended the game with a Bucs loss. Instead, David’s pick set up Chase McLaughlin’s game-winning field goal.

Smith finished the game with six tackles in addition to that critical fumble recovery. And David led the team with nine combined tackles, including some important open field stops early in the game to keep the Seahawks off the board in the first quarter. But the interception was the critical play in the big moment that landed him on this list.

TE Cade Otton

Otton, the forgotten man this season, has been playing extremely well in an unheralded role as a quasi-sixth lineman. But in this game, offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard decided to feature the former University of Washington product who was back in the state where he played college ball for the first time as a professional. Otton was targeted five times, catching four of those targets for 81 yards.

The most critical of those catches was a 17-yard screen in the second quarter on 3rd and 14 to keep a drive that eventually ended in a Rachaad White touchdown alive. Without his dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodging on that play, the Bucs would have had to attempt a 56-yard field goal. While it is within kicker Chase McLaughlin’s range, it hardly would have been a sure bet. Instead, Tampa Bay got seven and a commanding lead.

After earning three catches early in the game, the script went away from Otton through the middle parts. But on the final drive of the fourth quarter, Otton came up clutch as Mayfield found him late on a second reaction play. Grabbing the ball in the flat, Otton rumbled down the right sideline to the Seattle 20 for a 25-yard gain to set up a potential game-tying score.

RB Rachaad White

With starter Bucky Irving out and the Seahawks defense a pressure machine, it was important that White could have an impact as both a runner and as a checkdown and screen option for Mayfield. He delivered the goods, carrying the ball 14 times for 41 yards and adding four catches for 30 yards and a beautiful seven-yard touchdown scamper to put the Bucs up 13-0 in the first half.

1️⃣ for 6️⃣

📺: #TBvsSEA on CBS pic.twitter.com/7qkhcMf52y

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) October 5, 2025

His stat line was not impressive, but White was the weapon of choice in the red zone, scoring two touchdowns in a game that was decided by just three points. And when the Bucs needed a few extra yards at the end of the game to put McLaughlin into the easy range to make his game-winning kick, White delivered, getting to the right edge and up the field for 12 yards before smartly sliding to the ground and giving himself up to make sure Seattle would never get the ball back.

Bucs Offensive Line

It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t up to the standards they set last year. But the Bucs offensive line was noticeably better than last week. And progress is progress. The left side of the line was fantastic, as Tristan Wirfs and Ben Bredeson both locked down in pass protection.

Last week’s biggest weakness, Graham Barton allowing loopers to get into Mayfield’s face, was fixed. Barton still allowed push up the middle, as did Luke Haggard, but it was more slow losses than straight misses early in the rep. It allowed Mayfield to get further into his reads and step up through the line more rather than have to bail out the back or in some magical other way.

Bucs RB Rachaad White – Photo by: USA Today

WR Emeka Egbuka

Is there anything Egbuka can’t do? In the absence of Mike Evans and Bucky Irving, and with Chris Godwin still knocking the rust off, the Bucs were in desperate need of a playmaker to help Mayfield out. Egbuka was more than up for the challenge in front of his hometown crowd. He was Mayfield’s favorite target on the day, earning seven targets. But the nature of those targets is what really stands out.

Bucs WR Emeka Egbuka – Photo by: USA Today

Egbuka consistently won in the intermediate-to-deep part of the field with receptions of 24, 20, 19 and 57 yards. His ability to help the offense get chunk yardage helped ensure that drives were consistently getting into Seattle territory and setting up scores. Mayfield’s average completion to all other options was just 9.8 yards. His average target of Egbuka went for 23.3 yards.

For him to have the concentration, body contortion and finally showing the consistent hands to be this good – he caught every one of his targets – this early in his career is truly special.

WR Tez Johnson

Joining his rookie brethren Egbuka, Johnson provided critical catches throughout the game, working short in the flats and deep over the middle. His long on the day, the aforementioned 27-yarder, helped set up the Bucs’ second touchdown of the day. Johnson had been buried on a deep receiver depth chart, but has found opportunities in these past two games, showing he can get open and make things happen. It will be interesting to see how he is incorporated in the coming weeks when Evans returns and Godwin is at a higher level of play.

Bucs’ Specialists

Chase McLaughlin accounted for a total 12 points on the day. And every last one of them was needed in this back-and-forth-affair. His 30-yard field goal on Tampa Bay’s first drive led off the scoring on the day. He then doubled his point total with a 36-yarder on their next drive to put the Bucs up 6-0. For much of the rest of the game, McLaughlin hit extra points, helping to keep up with the powerful Seahawks offense.

Bucs K Chase McLaughlin – Photo by: USA Today

But it was his last kick that was the most crucial. A 39-yarder to win the game as time expired. The yips he experienced in the first two weeks of the season are but a distant memory as he has now connected on 18 of his last 19 kicks, extra points included since week 3. Not to mention, McLaughlin found himself as a late addition to the injury report on Saturday as he battled an illness. He fought through, and he once again came away as one of the team’s late-game heroes.

And I’ll add Riley Dixon to this list. The special teams as a unit had a rough day because the kick coverage was bad. But Dixon matched McLaughlin with a solid punt out of his own end zone that kept Seattle in their own territory and then an absolute beauty later in the game that pinned them back on their own one-yard line.

Offensive Coordinator Josh Grizzard

Grizzard has done yeoman’s work this season. With a battered offensive line and missing key playmakers in every contest, he has helped the team to 20+ points in every contest. Today, his play calling was on another level. Against a Seattle defense that held the 49ers, Steelers, Saints and Cardinals to 20 points or less this season, he found holes in their defensive script that enabled his offense to erupt for 38 points.

Bucs OC Josh Grizzard – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The run game was functional enough to allow the play action game to thrive. And the route structures got receivers open early and often. He put his quarterback in position to look godly on the day. Grizzard has unlocked a part of this offense that his two predecessors had not. The deep shot game is alive and well in Tampa Bay as yet another offensive coordinator is thriving in the Bay with Bake.

Logan Hall’s Helmet

Hey, take them how you can get them!