Bucs rookie receiver had two touchdowns in the team’s 28-13 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on Dec. 8, 2024. Credit: Photo via Buccaneers

With the Atlanta Falcons losing to the Minnesota Vikings Sunday afternoon, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a great chance to jump the Dirty Birds in the NFC South standings into first place.

And the Bucs did just that, with a closer-than-they-would-have-liked 28-13 victory over the two-win Las Vegas Raiders, moving the Bucs to 7-6 on the season, the first time they’ve been over .500 since mid-October.

The Bucs got off to a scorching start, with quarterback Baker Mayfield wheeling and dealing his way to a pair of touchdowns in the first quarter, one to running back Rachaad White and one to rookie receiver Jalen McMillan.

From that point forward though, the Tampa Bay struggled to put together any offense whatsoever, with Mayfield committing three turnovers in the second quarter via a pair of picks and a fumble.

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It took all the way until the fourth quarter for the Bucs to get back in the scoring column, but they managed to do so twice in the final period, with those two same players racking up touchdowns, White’s coming on the ground and McMillan coming via the air.

Luckily, the Bucs defense came to play (or maybe the Raiders’ offense didn’t), limiting potential offensive rookie of the year candidate and star tight end Brock Bowers to three catches and 49 yards for the afternoon and forcing a couple turnovers from one of the most turnover-prone teams in football.

Unfortunately the injury bug bit Tampa Bay yet again for the Bucs when star safety Antoine Winfield, Jr. left the game with a knee injury not to return, and running back Bucky Irving was also forced out of the game with a back problem, giving White and second year back Sean Tucker more of the spotlight for the afternoon.

White and Tucker took full advantage, with White cracking 100 all purpose yards and Tucker managing 47 yards on three carries, the biggest coming in the fourth quarter via a 34-yard run that helped set up a Bucs touchdown.

Next week the Bucs head to Los Angeles to take on star quarterback Justin Herbert and the Chargers, who are 8-5 on the season after their Sunday night matchup with Kansas City.

The Bucs have earned a loss, and the Chargers are a solid team that will give them plenty of trouble, especially with the Bucs on the road, and that’s OK.

Tampa Bay gets to finish the year against the Saints, Cowboys, and Panthers, all very winnable games, so they’ll be playing with house money next Sunday in the City of Angels.

Fire those cannons, the Bucs are in first place, even if it is the worst division in football.

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This article appears in Dec 5-11, 2024.