A new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts every Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Each week, the Pewter Reporters tackle another tough Bucs question. This week’s prompt: What has been the Bucs’ best win so far this season?

Scott Reynolds: Bucs FINALLY Beat 49ers – And It Was Sweet And Complete

In last week’s SR’s FAB 5 column on PewterReport.com I already declared that the Bucs’ 30-19 win over the 49ers was the best win so far in the 2025 season, so I’m going to stick with that. Here’s what I wrote on Friday:

“While the Week 1 win at Atlanta might have been the most impactful because it got Tampa Bay’s 2025 season off to a great start with a 1-0 lead in the NFC South division, the 30-19 victory over San Francisco was the best win so far. This Bucs victory has been years in the making, as the 49ers have beaten Tampa Bay in each of the last three years, including a 23-20 heartbreaker at Raymond James Stadium in 2024.

Bucs WR Tez Johnson – Photo by: USA Today

“It was a battle of two beat up teams this year and the Bucs prevailed with Todd Bowles’ defense coming to life with six sacks of Mac Jones and two interceptions, while holding Christian McCaffrey in check as a runner and a receiver. Rookie wide receivers Tez Johnson and Kameron Johnson came through with their first NFL touchdowns for Baker Mayfield. As sweet as it was to finally get a primetime win in Week 2 at Houston and win a hard-fought game at Seattle, the sweetest win so far was against San Francisco.”

I’ll also add that this was the team’s most complete win because Tampa Bay’s offense scored 30 points and the defense gave up just 19 points. Todd Bowles’ unit recorded a season-high six sacks against backup quarterback Mac Jones, who has played some really good football in place of injured starter Brock Purdy, and picked him off twice. Baker Mayfield and the offense didn’t turn the ball over and the Bucs won the turnover margin 2-0 while picking up a key NFC win that could help with a possible head-to-head tiebreaker over the 49ers in playoff seeding come January.

Matt Matera: Bucs Scoring Late To Beat Texans Showed True Toughness

If you want to talk about overcoming adversity, look no further than the Bucs’ Week 2 win late in the game on Monday night football over the Texans. They lost starting right tackle Luke Goedeke very early in the game, putting Charlie Heck in with already what was a makeshift offensive line. The Texans have arguably the best defense in the league, so that was no easy task. Tampa Bay also saw defensive tackle Calijah Kancey exit the game early, and yet still won, 20-19, in dramatic fashion.

The Bucs had trouble winning in primetime in 2024, and they weren’t playing their best football in that game either – at least on the offensive side. Tampa Bay was shut out in the second half all the way up until the final drive, but the team knew it had a chance to win the game with just  one touchdown. And since the Bucs were down five, they knew they had to reach the end zone.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

What played out next was a great example of grit and the willingness to win. Tampa Bay got the ball with 2:04 to go. With the game on the line and a fourth-and-10 coming up, Baker Mayfield miraculous got out of a sack and ran 15 yards for a first down to keep the drive going. Later on Bucky Irving took a pass 22 yards to get into the red zone.

And then at the 2-yard line with nine seconds to go, Rachaad White punched in a run to the end zone, putting the Bucs ahead with very little time for the Texans to respond. It was as thrilling of an ending that one will see in the league, and the Bucs proved in the most difficult of moments that they’ll prevail and get the job done.

Bailey Adams: Bucs’ Win Over The Falcons Set The Right Tone In 2025

The Falcons currently being losers of three straight and sitting at 3-5 doesn’t deter me from picking the Bucs’ Week 1 win Atlanta as their best win of the season so far. After all, I truly believe Tampa Bay was better than Atlanta in 2024, yet it was the Dirty Birds who pulled off a season sweep. So, coming into the regular season opener, Todd Bowles and Co. needed to find a way to win and set the right tone for 2025, especially considering how crucial the head-to-head and NFC South record tiebreakers can be when it comes to a close divisional race.

It wasn’t easy for the Bucs by any means, as they fell behind 20-17 with 2:17 to go after Michael Penix Jr. led an 18-play, 91-yard drive that took 8:46. But Baker Mayfield and the offense bounced back after a 35-yard kick return from Sean Tucker gave them good field position. Mayfield eventually connected with Emeka Egbuka for the go-ahead touchdown with 59 seconds to go, marking the rookie’s second touchdown catch in his NFL debut and Mayfield’s third touchdown pass of the day.

Bucs WR Emeka Egbuka – Photo by: Jeffrey Jones/PR

An uncharacteristic miss on the PAT left the Falcons in the game and they looked primed to send the game to overtime with a field goal at the end of regulation, but a Younghoe Koo miss allowed Tampa Bay to hold on for a crucial season-opening victory. No matter what it looked like, that was a massive first punch for the four-time defending NFC South champions in their quest for a five-peat.

Not to mention, the late-game heroics from Mayfield and the offense may have set the tone for what was to come in the following weeks. Who knows if the Bucs come back late to beat the Texans and Jets to start 3-0 without having already gained some confidence in that crunch-time situation in Week 1? Week 1 was a tone setter for this Tampa Bay team and while other wins during the season’s first half came against better teams, there might not have been one that meant as much as this one did.

Adam Slivon: Bucs’ Defense Dominating The Saints Was Unit’s Best Showing

The Bucs played the Saints in Week 8 looking to bounce back before the team’s bye week. Tampa Bay responded by allowing just three points on the road, being the most dominant they have been all season. What made the win especially encouraging was seeing just how well the defense played. Regardless of the opponent, allowing just a field goal in the modern-day NFL is quite the accomplishment, and Todd Bowles’ unit completely stifled Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough.

Despite Rattler and Shough combining to throw 51 passes, they mustered just 264 passing yards. They were constantly pressured, which also resulted in errant throws. All told, five sacks, four takeaways (two interceptions and fumbles) made this the best feel-good win so far.

Bucs OLB Anthony Nelson and DTs Vita Vea, Logan Hall and Elijah Roberts – Photo by: Jeffrey Jones/PR

Throughout the year, the Bucs have increased the blood pressure and finger nail-biting of fans in the ways they have scratched and clawed out late-game wins. This victory felt different, as they were in control from the moment they put the first points on the scoreboard. As much as they relied on the defense, seeing who stepped up was even better. Anthony Nelson was the one who made the biggest statement after playing the game of his life with a pick-six, two sacks, and a forced fumble. Jamel Dean and Antoine Winfield Jr. also contributed to the takeaway party, with all three levels of the defense keeping the Saints’ offense locked down.

As Lavonte David recently mentioned, this Bucs team has yet to play its best football. Even in this game, the offense did not have nearly the same level of success. Even still, seeing how the defense responded and played superb complementary football makes you reminiscent of the 2002 team. Baker Mayfield can only do so much, and Mayfield will not always be able to pull the rabbit out of the hat and put up 30 points. Defense wins championships, and in this case, the unit displayed the promise to make good on that statement and play even better in the season’s second half.

Josh Queipo: Bucs Beat Division-Leading Seahawks Shows They Can Hang With The Best

The Bucs have beat exactly one division-leader this season. That was when they traveled to the Pacific Northwest and knocked down a Seahawks team in a shootout, 38-35. Without Mike Evans. Without Bucky Irving. Chris Godwin Jr. played, but was still working back from his 2024 season-ending ankle injury. The Bucs were missing the entire starting right side of their offensive line. And still they hung seven scores on one of the best defenses in football.

Rookie Emeka Egbuka went stride-for-stride with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who is currently playing like the best receiver in football. Egbuka’s 7-163-1 line was nearly identical to Smith-Njigba’s 8-123-1, as the two traded uppercuts all game long. The Bucs were also able to rediscover what tight end Cade Otton can provide as a complimentary part of the passing offense as he grabbed four passes for 81 yards. The Seahawks rank 6th in EPA/play allowed, but a hobbled Bucs offense was able to create big plays and hang a big number on them.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Yes, the defense allowed 35 points. But that required Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold to make some unbelievable throws. And ultimately the Bucs forced two turnovers, including a Lavonte David interception with less than a minute left in the game that set up the game-winning field goal by Chase McLaughlin. It’s those turnovers that started in bunches in that game; they are the defining characteristic of this year’s defense.

The Seahawks have been the toughest opponent the Bucs have beat to date. And the two teams are likely to meet again in the playoffs. Tampa Bay has the confidence of knowing they can win in Seattle’s house. That’s a pretty big win in my opinion.