Highlights and Statistics from the Buccaneers' 37-20 Victory Over Washington
The Buccaneers kicked off the season with a 37-20 victory over the Commanders, improving their record to 1-0. This win marks Tampa Bay's fourth consecutive season-opening victory, setting a franchise record and tying for the second-longest active streak in the NFL.
Tampa Bay's 37 points are the fourth-highest total in a season opener in the franchise's history:
| RANK | GAME DATE | OPPONENT | POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1t. | 9/9/18 | at New Orleans | 48 |
| 1t. | 9/13/87 | vs. Atlanta | 48 |
| 3 | 9/9/90 | at Detroit | 38 |
| 4 | 9/8/24 | vs. Washington | 37 |
The Buccaneers' 17-point margin of victory ties for the third-highest point differential in a Week 1 game in franchise history:
| RANK | GAME DATE | OPPONENT | MARGIN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9/13/87 | vs. Atlanta | +38 |
| 2 | 9/17/17 | vs. Chicago | +22 |
| 3t. | 9/8/24 | vs. Washington | +17 |
| 3t. | 9/8/03 | at Philadelphia | +17 |
| 3t. | 9/9/90 | at Detroit | +17 |
Tampa Bay outgained Washington 392-299, with the Buccaneers' 392 net yards marking their third-highest total since the start of the 2023 season. The team also recorded 112 rushing yards, achieving 100+ yards on the ground in five of their last eight games.
On third downs, Tampa Bay converted 9 of 13 attempts (69.2%), which ranks as the sixth-highest success rate in a single game in franchise history and leads the NFL. Meanwhile, Washington managed only 2 of 8 (25.0%) on third-down attempts.
The Buccaneers improved their record against rookie quarterbacks to 11-5 since Todd Bowles took over in 2019.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield had an impressive performance, completing 24 of 30 passes (80.0%) for 289 yards and four touchdowns, earning a passer rating of 146.4. This rating was the highest in the NFL by the end of Sunday’s games and marked Mayfield's fourth-best rating of his career. Additionally, it stands as the second-highest Week 1 passer rating in franchise history, trailing only Ryan Fitzpatrick's 156.2 from the 2018 season.
Passer Rating Leaders – 2024 Season (Through Sunday’s 4 p.m. Games)
| RANK | PLAYER | PASSER RATING |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baker Mayfield (TB) | 146.4 |
| 2 | Derek Carr (NO) | 142.5 |
| 3 | Josh Allen (BUF) | 137.7 |
| 4 | C.J. Stroud (HOU) | 115.9 |
| 5 | Sam Darnold (MIN) | 113.2 |
Mayfield now has four career games with at least four touchdown passes and a passer rating of 140 or higher, tying him with Aaron Rodgers for the third-most such games by a player in his first seven seasons. Only Hall of Famers Peyton Manning (six) and Kurt Warner (five) have more.
Mayfield's 146.4 passer rating is also the highest single-game mark with 30 or more attempts by an opposing passer against Washington since Y.A. Tittle’s 151.4 on October 28, 1962.
Wide receiver Mike Evans caught five passes for 61 yards and two touchdowns. With these receptions, he surpassed Eric Moulds, James Lofton, and Chad Johnson to tie for 41st place in NFL history with 767 receptions. His two touchdowns moved him past Eric Dickerson (96) for the 26th-most overall touchdowns in NFL history, and he surpassed Davante Adams (95) for the 12th-most receiving touchdowns. Since the start of the 2020 season, Evans has recorded 48 touchdown receptions, ranking second in the NFL.
Receiving Touchdown Leaders – 2020-2024 Seasons
| RANK | PLAYER | REC. TD |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Davante Adams (LV) | 51 |
| 2 | Mike Evans (TB) | 48 |
| 3 | Tyreek Hill (MIA) | 45 |
Chris Godwin also had a strong performance, finishing with eight receptions for 83 yards and one touchdown. This touchdown moved him into second place in franchise history for touchdown receptions (35), surpassing Jimmie Giles. Godwin now ranks second in franchise history in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown receptions, behind only teammate Mike Evans in all categories.
Receiving Touchdown Leaders – Franchise History
| RANK | PLAYER | REC. TD |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mike Evans | 96 |
| 2 | Chris Godwin | 35 |
| 3 | Jimmie Giles | 34 |
Running back Rachaad White recorded 106 yards from scrimmage, with 75 receiving yards and 31 rushing yards. This performance marks his eighth game with 100+ yards from scrimmage since the start of the 2023 season and included a career-high 107 yards after catch.
Wide receiver Jalen McMillan caught a 32-yard touchdown pass from Mayfield, becoming the 10th player in franchise history to score a touchdown in his first career game. He is also the first to do so on his first career reception since Trey Palmer in Week 1 of the 2023 season.
Running back Bucky Irving led the team with 62 rushing yards on nine carries (6.9 avg.), which is the highest yards per carry by a Buccaneer in their first career game (min. 2 carries).
White and Irving became the first pair of Tampa Bay running backs to each achieve 75+ yards from scrimmage since Peyton Barber and Jacquizz Rodgers on October 23, 2016.
On defense, safety Jordan Whitehead recorded a team-high eight tackles in his first game back with the Buccaneers, adding one pass defended. Linebacker SirVocea Dennis matched his career-high with six tackles (one for loss), including his first career sack and a quarterback hit. Outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka recorded Tampa Bay's first sack of the season, executing a strip-sack on Jayden Daniels.
Kicker Chase McLaughlin was perfect on the day, going 3-for-3 on field goals from distances of 56, 34, and 29 yards, in addition to four extra points. His 13 total kicking points tie for his third-most in a single game throughout his career. Since joining the Buccaneers, McLaughlin has converted multiple field goals in 13 of 18 games.