Mayfield to Otton: Buccaneers Strike Back to Tie Divisional Clash in Detroit
DETROIT, MI — Baker Mayfield didn’t flinch. Faced with a 10-3 deficit and a Ford Field crowd reaching deafening decibel levels, Mayfield orchestrated a surgical 92-yard drive. The march culminated in a 2-yard touchdown toss to Cade Otton, erasing the Lions’ early lead and shifting the pressure back to the home team.
Sheldon Rankins postseason TD 🥹
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Slicing Through the Secondary
The Buccaneers’ offense looked stuck in neutral during the first quarter, but Mayfield found his rhythm by attacking the middle of the field. After a massive 23-yard completion to Mike Evans moved the chains into the red zone, Mayfield looked for his big tight end. Otton ran a crisp out-route, creating just enough separation from the Lions’ linebacker to secure the ball near the pylon.
This score marked Otton’s second touchdown of the postseason, cementing his role as a vital piece of the Buccaneers’ passing attack. By utilizing Otton in short-yardage situations, Tampa Bay successfully neutralized Detroit’s aggressive edge rush, forcing the Lions to play more conservatively in their defensive looks.
By The Numbers: The Tie-Breaking Drive
- Total Yards: 92
- Plays: 9
- Time of Possession: 4:51
- Baker Mayfield: 4-for-5 on the drive
- Key Play: 23-yard pass to Mike Evans on 2nd-and-10
What They Said
“Cade has a great feel for the game. He knows exactly where the window is going to open. On that touchdown, we saw the matchup we wanted and he made a great catch in traffic.” — Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers QB
“We had them backed up, but we let them off the hook. You can’t give a veteran quarterback like Baker that much time to scan the field. We have to tighten up the coverage in the red zone.” — Dan Campbell, Lions Head Coach
The Battle of Attrition
As the game moves into the second half, the Mayfield-Otton connection remains a major problem for Detroit’s defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. With the score knotted at 10-10, the game has transformed into a high-stakes chess match. The winner will likely be the team that can sustain these long, methodical drives without committing the fatal turnover that has defined previous playoff exits for both franchises.
