Elijah Roberts and rookie DeMonte Capehart stonewalled RB J’Mari Taylor for no gain on first down but Mullens found Long over the middle for 13 yards and the tight end held on despite a hard hit from S Miles Killebrew. Roberts blew up the next play on a play-action pass that didn’t fool him for a moment, leading to an incompletion. Moments later, on third-and-seven, OLB David Walker pushed a blocker into Mullens lap, forcing a quick throw to TE Quintin Morris, who was dropped for a gain of just two by Killebrew.
Starting again at their own 22 as the second quarter kicked off, Daniels made a remarkable escape from a near sack deep in the backfield, though the play was still technically a sack when he was caught for no gain. A Williams run got just one and Daniels’ third-down pass was broken up, ending that possession quickly.
The ongoing punt exchange put the Jaguars at their own 42 with 13 minutes left in the half. Two DeeJay Dallas runs got just enough for a first down at the Bucs’ 48, but Walker blew around the end on the next snap and disrupted Mullens’ throw, which was nearly intercepted by Garnes deep downfield. The Jaguars quickly faced a fourth-and-five and chose to send out kicker Cam Little, who calmly nailed a 61-yard field goal to open the scoring.
After another kickoff touchback, the Bucs opened again at their 35 but almost immediately faced a third-and-nine. Daniels’ arm was hit on third down to force an apparent incompletion and a punt, which was returned to Jacksonville’s 25. Carter Bradley came in to replace Mullens at quarterback and was immediately greeted with sack by rookie DL Josiah Green, but a procedural penalty on the Bucs and a 12-yard ramble by Taylor led to a first down at the 36. Green got pressure on Bradley again on first down, forcing an incompletion, helping put Jacksonville into a third-and-10. The Jags punted it away moments later but a botched snap by the Bucs’ offense gave them the ball right back at the Tampa Bay 15 with five minutes left in the half.
Good coverage by the Bucs’ secondary put Jacksonville into a fourth-and-six at the Bucs’ 11 and the home team chose to go for it. Bradley tried to get the ball in to Trammell in the middle of the end zone but Benjamin Morrison was there to break it up, leading to a changeover on downs.
Two passes to WR Garrett Greene, one of them complete, didn’t gain any yards, but on third-and-10 Daniels went back to Greene, who made a leaping grab in traffic for a gain of 18. Williams picked his way for a nine-yard gain to the Bucs’ 38 to bring on the two-minute warning, and after the break he got four more for a first down. However, a false start and two incompletions put the Bucs in a long third down and it got worse when Daniels was sacked by DE Bryan Thomas, leading to another punt.
The Jaguars came out in an effort to make the most of the last minute, with a Bradley completion to Trammell over the middle for 23 yards. However, another hookup with Trammell for 16 yards was erased by a holding penalty and the Jags simply ran out the clock from there.
The Bucs kicked off to start the second half and rookie LB Caden Fordham dropped return man Chandler Brayboy at the Jacksonville 34. CB Pepe Williams made a nice open-field tackle on TE Patrick Herbert to limit the first-down play to two yards, helping lead to third-and-six. Fordham had good coverage on Taylor downt he left sideline and the pass was incomplete, leading to a punt. Kam Johnson fielded the punt right by the left goal-line pylon and managed to elude enough coverage to get to the Bucs’ 14.
Daniels remained in the game at quarterback and looked downfield on first down but eventually had to scramble for two yards, taking a very hard hit at the end of the run. He couldn’t get away from Thomas on the next play, though, and was sacked back at the six-yard line. A punt followed shortly thereafter, and Dixon’s 56-yard blast was followed by a Jaguars’ penalty to put the ball at the home team’s 26. A near-sack by rookie OLB Yasir Holmes forced an incompletion and a third-and-six but Bradyley kep the drive alive with a 19-yard strike to WR Michael Wortham. Holmes came up big again a moment later with a TFL on Dallas for a loss of two, but an 11-yard Trebor Pena made it third-and-one. Dallas fought through a tackle at the line of scrimmage to get a first down at the Bucs’ 37. After a missed deep shot to Pena it was third-and-six, and third-down stop was erased by an offsides call. A Dallas run gained nothing but the Jags went for it on fourth down and Bradley managed to zip a 11-yard pass in to Brayboy at the Bucs’ 16. Dallas’ next carry got the ball down to the Bucs’ two but the Bucs’ defense held against another Dallas run and a Bradley sneak. On third-and-goal, Bradley faked a handoff and Dallas leaked out to the right and was wide open for the one-yard TD pass. The Jags went for two and got it on a Bradley keeper.
Browning came in for the next drive with four minutes left in the third quarter but his first-down pass attempt was batted away downfield and he was sacked by LB Amari Burney on second down. A tunnel screen to Rivers didn’t work and the Bucs quickly had to punt again.
Rookie QB Joey Aguilar took over for the Jaguars and threw a short pass to Wortham that the receivers turned into a 21-yard gain to the Bucs’ 30. The third quarter came to an end with Jacksonville facing a second-and-three at Tampa Bay’s 23. From there, the Jaguars got down to the Bucs’ six by Pyburn’s nine-yard sack of Aguilar keyed a goal-line stand and a fourth-down incompletion turned it over on downs.
The Bucs started at their own 11 and seemed to get a first down on a nice screen pass to Williams but it came back on a holding call. The drive stalled from there, leading to Dixon’s eighth punt. Wortham got the Jaguars right back into scoring range with a 29-yard return to the Bucs’ 28. A Pyburn tackle for loss and a botched snap managed to put Jacksonville into a third-and-25 and Pyburn blasted in for another sack to force a punt.
The Bucs’ ensuing possession went nowhere and Jacksonville added the exclamation point when Wortham barely escaped a tackle just as he fielded the punt and found his way to the left sideline for a 63-yard touchdown return. From there, both teams essentially ran out the clock.