Football is weird. One week you are the toast of the league after bullying the Detroit Lions in their own house, and the next, you’re getting dismantled at home by a rookie quarterback who hadn't thrown a touchdown pass yet. That is the exact reality the Tampa Bay Buccaneers faced when the Denver Broncos rolled into Raymond James Stadium on September 22, 2024.
Nobody saw it coming. Literally nobody. The Bucs were 6.5-point favorites. Most experts—including the big names at ESPN and NFL.com—had already chalked this up as an easy 3-0 start for Todd Bowles and Baker Mayfield. Instead, Denver walked away with a 26-7 victory that felt even more lopsided than the score suggested.
The Day Bo Nix Grew Up
Entering Week 3, the narrative around Bo Nix was... let’s just say it wasn't great. He’d struggled through his first two starts, looking every bit like a rookie stuck in a Sean Payton system he hadn't mastered. But something clicked under the Florida sun.
Nix didn't just play well; he played clean. He finished 25-of-36 for 216 yards. More importantly, he didn't throw a single interception after tossing four in his first two games. He used his legs when the pocket broke down, including a massive 22-yard scramble that essentially broke the spirit of the Tampa Bay defense.
The Broncos struck first. Hard. On the opening drive, Nix led a 70-yard march that he capped off himself with a 3-yard touchdown run. Just like that, the 62,000 people in the stands got real quiet. It was the first time Denver had led a game by 14 points in the first quarter since 2021.
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Why the Buccaneers Offense Disappeared
If you ask Baker Mayfield what happened, he'll tell you it was a "perfect storm" of bad protection and missed reads. The Denver defense, led by Pro Bowler Pat Surtain II, turned the Buccaneers' aerial attack into a series of panicked check-downs.
- The Sack Parade: Denver’s pass rushers were living in the backfield. They sacked Mayfield seven times. Seven. Dondrea Tillman, a guy many casual fans hadn't heard of before that Sunday, recorded the first two sacks of his NFL career.
- The Turnover: Early in the game, Brandon Jones undercut a pass meant for Mike Evans. He returned it 37 yards to the Tampa 9-yard line. That play set up a Jaleel McLaughlin touchdown, and suddenly it was 14-0.
- The Evans Erasure: Mike Evans is a future Hall of Famer. But on this day? He was a ghost. Two catches for 17 yards. When you take away Mayfield’s primary weapon, the whole engine stalls.
Honestly, the only bright spot for Tampa was Bucky Irving. The rookie running back looked like he was playing at a different speed than everyone else on his team. He put up 70 yards on just nine carries, including a 32-yard burst that reminded people why the Bucs drafted him. But because they were down by three scores so early, they had to abandon the run. It was a classic coaching trap.
The Sean Payton Masterclass
This game was a reminder that Sean Payton still knows how to scheme. Denver's defense didn't just play hard; they played smart. They knew the Buccaneers were missing key pieces on their offensive line, specifically Luke Goedeke. They exploited those gaps relentlessly.
Wil Lutz was the unsung hero of the afternoon. While the offense moved the ball, they didn't always find the end zone. Lutz stepped up and nailed four field goals (43, 38, 33, and 43 yards). It was the kind of efficient, "boring" football that wins road games against superior opponents.
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Historical Context of Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Denver Broncos
The rivalry between these two isn't exactly a "rivalry" in the traditional sense. They play once every four years because they are in different conferences. But the history is surprisingly skewed.
Before this 2024 meeting, the Broncos held a 7-3 all-time record against the Bucs. Tampa Bay’s only home win against Denver in franchise history happened way back in 1999. Even the legendary Tom Brady, who throttled the Broncos 28-10 in 2020, couldn't change the fact that Denver usually has Tampa's number.
There's something about the way these two teams match up that creates chaos. Whether it's the humidity in Tampa or the altitude in Denver, the favorite rarely seems to walk away with an easy win.
What This Matchup Taught Us
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Denver Broncos game was a massive reality check for both fanbases. For Denver, it proved that Bo Nix was the right pick at 12th overall. It showed that if you give Sean Payton a defense that can get seven sacks, he can win with a rookie.
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For Tampa, it was a "humble pie" moment. Todd Bowles admitted after the game that they were out-hit and out-coached. You can’t win in the NFL when you lose the turnover battle and give up seven sacks. It just doesn't happen.
If you’re looking to apply the lessons from this specific matchup to your own football knowledge or betting strategies, keep these points in mind:
- Watch the O-Line Injuries: Tampa's inability to protect Mayfield without their starters was the single biggest factor in the loss. Never underestimate a backup tackle against an aggressive defensive coordinator like Vance Joseph.
- Rookie Progression isn't Linear: Nix looked terrible for two weeks and then looked like a Pro Bowler. Don't write off young QBs after 120 minutes of football.
- The "Post-Big Win" Letdown: This is a real thing. Tampa was coming off a massive emotional win against Detroit. They walked into the Broncos game overconfident, and it cost them.
If you want to understand the current trajectory of either team, you have to look back at this Week 3 clash. It wasn't just a game; it was a blueprint for how to upset a heavy favorite using aggressive defense and a mistake-free rookie.
Go back and watch the tape of Bucky Irving’s 32-yard run or Bo Nix’s third-quarter scramble. Those plays aren't just highlights; they are the reasons these two teams are trending where they are today. The next time these two meet, don't look at the betting line. Look at the trenches. That’s where this one was decided.