Two years after suffering heartbreak in Houston, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers flipped the script on Monday night. Baker Mayfield orchestrated a dramatic 11-play, 80-yard drive capped by Rachaad White’s 2-yard touchdown run with six seconds remaining, lifting the Bucs to a 20-19 win over the Texans.
In their last trip to NRG Stadium in 2023, the Buccaneers saw rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud find Tank Dell for a game-winning touchdown with six seconds left in a 39-37 Texans victory. This time, it was Tampa Bay delivering the dagger.
“This one meant a lot,” said receiver Mike Evans, who grew up in nearby Galveston and called that 2023 loss “heartbreaking” earlier in the week. “We wanted to come back and make things right.”
Mayfield, who threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns, kept the final drive alive with a gutsy 15-yard scramble on fourth-and-10. The Bucs improved to 2-0, with both wins coming in last-minute fashion. In the opener, Mayfield found rookie Emeka Egbuka for a late touchdown to beat Atlanta 23-20. He joins Doug Williams (1980) as the only Tampa Bay quarterbacks to start a season with two straight game-winning drives.
Houston (0-2) thought it had stolen the game when Nick Chubb broke free for a 25-yard touchdown run with 2:10 left, giving the Texans a 19-14 lead. But Stroud was sacked on the two-point try, and the door was left open for Tampa Bay’s response.
The Texans had already rallied earlier in the fourth quarter. Jakob Johnson blocked a Riley Dixon punt, setting up a Ka’imi Fairbairn 53-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 14-13. Rookie returner Jaylin Noel then sparked Houston with a 53-yard punt return to the Tampa Bay 27, setting the stage for Chubb’s first touchdown as a Texan after seven seasons in Cleveland.
Stroud threw for 207 yards and one touchdown but struggled to generate consistent offense in the second half. Houston’s best chance slipped away early in the fourth quarter, when they had first-and-goal at the Tampa Bay 8 but failed to score after three straight stops.
The Bucs offense also sputtered after halftime, missing a chance to extend their lead when Chase McLaughlin’s 38-yard field goal clanged off the right upright late in the third.
Still, Tampa Bay’s balance eventually wore down the Texans. The Bucs finished with 169 rushing yards to Houston’s 84, led by Bucky Irving’s 71 yards and White’s 65. Mayfield added 33 on the ground, with 31 coming in the fourth quarter.
Egbuka continued his electric rookie start, hauling in a 15-yard touchdown in the second quarter to become the sixth player since the merger with three touchdown catches in his first two games. Ryan Miller added a 20-yard TD grab to tie the game at 7-7 in the opening quarter.
Danielle Hunter was a bright spot for the Texans’ defense, forcing a fumble and recording two sacks to reach 101.5 for his career.
The victory put Tampa Bay in early control of its season, with Mayfield showing a flair for late-game magic.
“Baker’s toughness, his ability to make plays when it matters most—that’s contagious,” coach Todd Bowles said. “Our guys believe.”
The Buccaneers (2-0) return home to face the New York Jets on Sunday. The Texans (0-2) will try to rebound in a divisional matchup at Jacksonville.
