The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were just a two-point conversion away from breaking the Kansas City Chiefs’ winning streak last Monday. They had more than enough time as well — a good 27 seconds— to pull it off. However, Baker Mayfield’s team played it safe, and went for a field goal. Overtime followed, with the scores tied 24-24.
Advertisement
Ever since Patrick Mahomes has joined their ranks, the Chiefs have been owning overtimes. It wasn’t anything different this week. The AFC West toppers added six more points with a two-yard run to seal the game.
Had the Bucs gone for a two-point play, they may have ended up victors. Former New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman, however, doesn’t think so.
Edelman, had he been in HC Todd Bowles’ shoes, would have done the same thing. He argued that the Buccaneers would not have ended up scoring since Mayfield did not have anybody to throw the ball to at that point in the game. Both their elite WRs, Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, were out due to injuries.
“Because the Buccaneers probably couldn’t get the two-point conversion. All their red area targets, with Chris Godwin gone Mike Evans…there’s no one to throw to,” Edelman said on The Herd, replying to Colin Cowherd.
Edelman also pointed out that the Buccaneers had run out of their short-area plays. And Bowles didn’t have anything that would surprise the opponents.
Mayfield reacts to the two-point controversy
With Mahomes winning the coin toss at OT, it was clear that a Tampa Bay win wouldn’t be easy. The Chiefs played as expected, covering 70 yards. And RB Kareem Hunt’s final 2-yard run cemented their victory.
Mayfield seems to have expected this outcome. Or at least that’s what his body language indicated when Mahomes won the toss. He took a deep sigh and pointed to the sky, possibly asking for divine intervention.
After the game, the star quarterback expressed no regrets about opting for the field goal and not the two-point play.
“I didn’t lobby for it (two-point conversion),” Mayfield was quoted as saying by the Tampa Bay Times. “I mean, hindsight’s 20/20 when you look at it. We had a little momentum there after the long drive. They were gassed a little bit. But, yeah, hindsight is 20/20. You’re hoping to win the coin toss.”
The Buccaneers, 4-5 in the season now, face a tough road ahead. The NFC South team will lock horns against another Super Bowl team this Sunday — the San Francisco 49ers.
