The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 30-19, to move to 5-1 on the year. It marks the sixth time in franchise history that the Buccaneers have started 5-1 (1979, 1997, 2002, 2005,
2021). Through Sunday’s 4:00 p.m. ET slate of games, the Buccaneers sit atop the NFC standings as the only 5-1 team (Detroit could match). Since Tampa Bay’s Week 11 bye last year, the Buccaneers are 11-2 in the regular season (.846) – the best record in the NFL over that span (Detroit could match). Dating back to the 2021 season, the Buccaneers have now held at least a share of the NFC South lead for 64 of the last 78 weeks.
– The Buccaneers produced 352 net yards of offense across 50 offensive plays on Sunday, averaging 7.0 yards per play after averaging 7.3 against the Seahawks in Week 5. As of Sunday’s 4:00 p.m. ET slate of games, the Buccaneers are the only team in the NFL to record consecutive games averaging at least 7.0 yards per play.
– Tampa Bay surpassed 100 rushing yards as a team for the fifth time this season – tied with four other teams for the most such occurrences this year.
– QB Baker Mayfield completed 17-of-23 passes (73.9%) for 256 yards and two touchdown passes compared to zero interceptions for a 139.0 passer rating. Over the last two weeks, Mayfield has completed 82.1% of his passes – highest mark among any quarterback over that span (Jared Goff could also meet this figure, pending Sunday Night Football). His 137.7 passer rating over the last two weeks also leads all such quarterbacks (again pending Jared Goff). During this two-game stretch, Mayfield has posted consecutive performances of averaging at least 11.0 yards per attempt – the only such span by any quarterback this season.
– Mayfield became just the ninth quarterback in NFL history to complete at least 82% of his passes while averaging at least 11 yards per attempt across multiple games within a single season, joining Jared Goff (2024, twice), Brock Purdy (2023), Ryan Tannehill (2015), Alex Smith (2012) and Peyton Manning (2008), Kurt Warner (1999), Rob Johnson (1997) and Ken Anderson (1974).
Through Sunday’s 4:00 p.m. ET slate of games, Mayfield’sranks among NFL leaders:
- T-2nd in touchdown passes (12)
- 4th in touchdown-to-interception ratio (12.0)
- 4th in passing yards (1,539)
- 6th in passer rating (108.5)
– Mayfield has three touchdown passes of 40 yards or more – the most by any quarterback in the NFL this season.
– Mayfield also recorded a 15-yard scramble on a third-and-14 in the third quarter, generating 27 yards after contact as he avoided a sack in the backfield. Per Next Gen Stats,Mayfield had just a 3.7% chance of picking up the first down via run at the onset of the play. The Buccaneers scored two plays later.
– RB Rachaad White contributed a season-high 86 yards from scrimmage in the form of 17 carries for 65 yards with one touchdown and three receptions for 21 yards. With his touchdown run, White surpassed Cadillac Williams (24) for the sixth-most, and tied Errict Rhett for the fifth-most, touchdowns from scrimmage by a running back in franchise history. In Sunday’s contest, White also surpassed Leonard Fournette (178) for the fifth-most receptions by a running back/fullback in team history.
– RB Sean Tucker added 25 rushing yards on six carries (4.2 avg.) and one touchdown. His rushing score marked the third of his career.
– WR Kameron Johnson, who entered the game with zero career receptions, finished as Tampa Bay’s leading receiver, bringing in four catches for 64 receiving yards with one touchdown. Johnson’s first career reception came on a 34-yard touchdown score from Baker Mayfield.
– WR Tez Johnson also logged his first career touchdown reception in Sunday’s win, bringing in a 45-yard score from Baker Mayfield.
– Sunday’s game marks the second time this season in which multiple Buccaneers have recorded their first career regular season touchdown reception (also, Week 1 vs. Atlanta, Bucky Irving and Emeka Egbuka). It marks the first non-Week 1 occurrence since the 2012 season whenDoug Martin and Erik Lorig accomplished the feat in Week 8 against the Minnesota Vikings.
– The Buccaneers lead the NFL in touchdown receptions by rookies (six) this season, as well as since the start of last season (14). Since the start of the 2023 season, they’re tied for first (17).
– WR Sterling Shepard added two receptions for 51 yards, including a 36-yarder – his longest catch as a member of the Buccaneers.
– TE Cade Otton finished with a season-high five receptions for 51 yards. His five catches represent his most since Week 10 of the 2024 season, also against the 49ers. After totaling 34 receiving yards across the first four weeks of the season, Otton has contributed 132 yards in Weeks 5-6.
– Tampa Bay recorded 6.0 sacks on Sunday – its most in a game since Week 4 of the 2024 season against Philadelphia (6.0). The Buccaneers recorded a sack on 15.4% of dropbacks on Sunday, their third-highest total in a game since the start of the 2024 season. Tampa Bay recorded 3.0 sacks in the first quarter – its most in the first quarter of any contest since Week 12 of the 2014 season against Chicago (3.0).
– The Buccaneers held the 49ers to 67 rushing yards on Sunday – the fewest they’ve allowed to an opponent this season, and the fewest that the 49ers have produced in a single game this season. San Francisco averaged 3.0 yards per carry.
– OLB Yaya Diaby led the way for the Buccaneers with 2.0 sacks, posting his second career game with multiple sacks. Both of his career performances with at least 2.0 sacks have come against the San Francisco 49ers, with the previous occurring in Week 11 of the 2023 season.
– CB Jamel Dean recorded his first career sack in Sunday’s contest, dropping Mac Jones for an 8-yard loss. Dean also intercepted Jones later in the game to record his second interception of the year, which ties for his most in a single season in his career.
– LB Lavonte David also recorded a sack of Mac Jones, part of his day that included six tackles. With his sack, he increased his season sack total to 2.5 and his career sack total to 41.5 – the sixth-most in franchise history.
– NT Vita Vea was awarded a half sack on the day, tying him with Jason Pierre-Paul and Brad Culpepper (33.0) for the ninth most sacks in franchise history.
– Per Next Gen Stats, Vea generated five quarterback pressures while facing double-teams on 69.7% of dropbacks. Despite the double-teams, Vea still generated two pressures and 0.5 sacks when doubled. With Vea on the field, the Bucs allowed only 36 yards on 14 rushes between the tackles (2.6 yards per carry).
– Haason Reddick, C.J. Brewer, and Elijah Roberts were also credited with half sacks on Sunday.
– CB Kindle Vildor recorded his first interception as a member of the Buccaneers, picking off Mac Jones in the first quarter. It represented his second career interception and first since 2022. Vildor’s interception gave Tampa Bay the ball on the San Francisco 12-yard line, and the Buccaneers scored two plays later. Vildor finished with three tackles, two passes defensed, and the interception.
– S Tykee Smith contributed his team-leading seventh pass defensed of the season, adding six tackles. His seven passes defensed are tied for fifth in the NFL through Sunday’s 4 p.m. games.
– LB SirVocea Dennis recorded his team-leading fifth tackle for loss on the year, adding seven tackles. Lavonte David and Yaya Diaby are also tied for the team lead in TFL’s.
– S Antoine Winfield Jr. led Tampa Bay with nine tackles.
