Bucs Edge Texans

For the second straight week, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield engineered a game-winning touchdown drive with two minutes to go, delivering on his vow for “more wins” in 2025 as the Bucs beat the Houston Texans 20-19 on Monday.

With 1:32 left in the game, Mayfield was flushed from the pocket and could not connect with rookie wideout Emeka Egbuka on third-and-10. On fourth down and the game on the line, Mayfield scrambled to pick up the first down.

Then, after five straight completions — including running back Bucky Irving taking two short passes 22 and 18 yards, respectively — running back Rachaad White ran 2 yards up the middle for the winning score.

The Texans needed their defense to come up with a stop after taking a 19-14 lead with 2:10 left in the game after Nick Chubb punched in a 25-yard run, but Mayfield got his first prime-time win in the regular season with the Buccaneers. Before Monday, Mayfield had gone 0-6 during the regular season with the Bucs in prime time.

The Texans’ defense played well enough to win, holding the Buccaneers to 360 total yards, but the offense didn’t score enough. However, when it mattered most, Houston’s defense failed to close out the game.

It’s hard to blame the defense when Houston’s offense struggled — totaling 266 yards, only one more than Week 1. The offense scored two touchdowns, so that’s progress from Week 1 when the unit had only three field goals. But the touchdown was aided by a short field after Noel’s huge kick return. The Texans’ special teams made plays, the defense sacked Mayfield four times, but the offense couldn’t get it going most of the night.

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