The 2-0 Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have seen the 0-2 New York Jets without their starting quarterback and chalked it up as an easy victory. However, through the first quarter, it has been anything but easy for Todd Bowles and his men, especially after a brutal first drive.
Trying to answer back after the Jets put up three points on their opening drive, the Buccaneers started their drive at the 32-yard line. What followed was an arduous nine-play possession that saw them move just 33 yards and take over six minutes of game time, before finally getting a field goal themselves. In the midst, they set an unfortunate record.
What Caused the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Reach the History Books?
Over the course of the drive, Tampa Bay was called for an offensive holding penalty on five separate occasions, the most times holding calls have been accepted on a drive in the 21st century.
It started with Ryan Miller, who was assessed the first penalty, with Luke Haggard gettig flagged twice. Additionally, superstar wide receiver Mike Evans and their center Graham Barton also got called, resulting in 50 lost yards for the Bucs.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME, EMEKA?! 🤯
📺: #NYJvsTB on FOX pic.twitter.com/LLd5MQSXTy
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 21, 2025
While not on the inactive list for the game, both right tackle Luke Goedeke and right guard Cody Mauch were placed on the injured reserve list last week, leaving the rest of the roster to try to hold down the fort in their absence.
From that point on, though, the offense as a whole has done an incredible job of playing a clean game. For the rest of the half, they were called for just two more penalties on their drives, including one offensive holding call.
Unfortunately, the first drive was a worrying sign of what fans could expect. The second drive was a positive sign for the Buccaneers. However, their injury-ravaged offensive line could make things difficult against tougher competition as the season progresses.
By the end of the night, the injured list for Tampa Bay also included veteran wide receiver Mike Evans. As a result, the margin for error got even slimmer for the team. A messy game saw them finish with 14 penalties worth 124 yards.
Additionally, a blocked field goal almost lost them the game entirely, but a third-consecutive game-winning drive from Mayfield paved the way for a 29-27 victory.
