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Baker Mayfield leads the Buccaneers into Houston for a conflict with C.J. Stroud and the Texans for an early-season take a look at between two playoff contenders
The reigning NFC South champion Buccaneers look to maneuver to 2-0 after squeaking by the Falcons in Week 1, whereas the Texans hope to rebound from an unsightly offensive efficiency of their opener towards the Rams.
Observe under for perception and evaluation from The Athletic’s staff of NFL reporters.
If you happen to’re someway nonetheless unconvinced about Baker Mayfield, Week 1 needs to be one other robust piece of proof towards the truth that he’s a respectable upper-tier NFL starter.
Mayfield is on his fourth staff and his third offensive coordinator in as a few years with the Buccaneers. Certain, he has assist — extensive receiver Mike Evans is a future Corridor of Famer, and Tristan Wirfs appears prone to be a part of him in Canton, Ohio — however the playmaking means he confirmed flashes of whereas battling accidents in Cleveland and Carolina is now on full, constant show in Tampa Bay.
It doesn’t appear like that can change in 2025, as Mayfield threw for 167 yards and three touchdowns to steer an offense lacking Wirfs and receivers Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan to victory.
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LOS ANGELES — The 2025 NFL season arrived for each the Los Angeles Rams and the Houston Texans with a kidney-busting, spine-bending collision.
Davante Adams, the veteran receiver lengthy recognized for the finesse in his route-running, gutted by a success from Texans security Henry To’oTo’o like an old-school fullback. Broadcaster Kevin Harlan famous that Adams “bent like a pretzel” as he contorted backward on the waist, his knees folded beneath him as To’oTo’o made contact. The aftershock injured cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., who was latched onto Adams from behind for a sort out.
Adams held on to the ball, changing the third-and-2. Stingley left the sport, then returned later in a primary half that noticed each groups punching and clawing and hitting one another with a physicality not typically mirrored within the early season. The Rams won 14-9.
The Los Angeles Rams began the season 1-0 with a bodily 14-9 win over the Houston Texans. The sport featured late drama, as Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair pressured a Colby Parkinson fumble with 4 minutes left, halting a late Rams drive on the 12-yard line, to provide Houston yet one more possession and an opportunity to steal a victory.
Nonetheless, Chris Shula’s protection wouldn’t be outdone as new Los Angeles defender Nate Landman pressured a fumble of his personal, punching the ball out of the fingers of operating again Dare Ogunbowale, to provide the ball again to Matthew Stafford and the Rams offense to seal the victory. The fumble was solely the second misplaced fumble of Ogunbowale’s nine-year NFL profession.
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Rams maintain Texans to 9 factors in bodily Week 1 win: Key takeaways
Baker Mayfield threw a 25-yard landing cross to Emeka Egbuka with 1:04 remaining, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers held on for a 23-20 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1 when Younghoe Koo missed a 44-yard area aim with two seconds left.
The Bucs’ win spoiled some clutch late play from Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who drove Atlanta 60 yards in 57 seconds to arrange Koo for the sphere aim try.
Penix additionally engineered a drive that gave the Falcons a late 20-17 lead, twice utilizing each inch of his 6-foot-2 body to stretch out and convert large performs. First, he reached the ball out to transform a diving fourth-and-2 on the Tampa Bay 3-yard line with 2:54 to go to provide the Falcons a contemporary set of downs. 5 performs later, he did it once more, diving towards the tip zone on fourth-and-goal, the ball simply breaking the airplane to provide Atlanta a 20-17 lead.
Mayfield accomplished 17 of 32 passes for 167 yards and three touchdowns.
The Texans allowed pressure on 41 percent of their dropbacks — twenty sixth amongst all groups — together with 5 of six dropbacks on which the Rams blitzed, tied for the worst such fee within the league. That’s onerous to again towards a staff that simply is aware of how you can win just like the Buccaneers.
The decide: Buccaneers +2.5
By Chad Graff and Josh Kendall
Final week: 8
Sunday: Misplaced to Rams 14-9
First impression: This offense wants assist
The Texans made one of many shock strikes of the offseason, hiring Nick Caley as offensive coordinator to exchange Bobby Slowik. The Caley period didn’t exactly begin with a bang. Houston’s main receiver, rookie Jayden Higgins, had simply 32 receiving yards. The Texans went 2-for-9 on third downs. This protection is nice, however the offense? Not an excellent begin.
Up subsequent: vs. Buccaneers, Monday, 7 p.m. ET
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Week 2 NFL Energy Rankings: Payments, Chargers emerge as cream of the AFC crop
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By Chad Graff and Josh Kendall
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0)
Final week: 16
Sunday: Beat Falcons 23-20
First impression: Emeka Egbuka is a stud
The rookie wideout’s pair of touchdowns sent quite a message. Baker Mayfield and the Bucs have been a bit up and down on this one, however given Egbuka’s play, this offense needs to be a ton of enjoyable when Chris Godwin will get wholesome.
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Week 2 NFL Energy Rankings: Payments, Chargers emerge as cream of the AFC crop
The Athletic has dwell protection of Bucs vs. Texans from the “Monday Night time Soccer” doubleheader.
The connection between money and profitable within the NFL is difficult.
Shopping for a contender in free company is all however unimaginable. But when a staff’s proprietor is keen to spend, a entrance workplace could be extra proactive in re-signing gamers. It may well strike extra boldly when there’s a possibility to take a giant swing. When issues inevitably go incorrect, money helps groups transfer on from errors and get well extra shortly.
NRG Stadium in Houston, capability 72,220. It’s been the house of the Texans since their 2002 debut and has hosted Tremendous Bowls XXXVIII (2004) and LI (2017) in addition to the 2024 School Soccer Playoff Nationwide Championship Recreation. It’s going to host a number of matches in the course of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Tonight’s “Monday Night time Soccer” sport between the Buccaneers and Texans could be seen on ABC and ESPN.
ESPN’s No. 1 NFL crew of Joe Buck (play-by-play), Troy Aikman (analyst), Lisa Salters (sideline reporter) and Laura Rutledge (sideline reporter) will probably be on the decision from Houston.
Right this moment’s sport between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Houston Texans kicks off at 7 p.m. ET. That’s 6 p.m. CT, native time in Houston and 4 p.m. PT on the West Coast.
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Hi there NFL followers, and welcome again to The Athletic’s dwell protection of Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season, which wraps up in the present day with a “Monday Night time Soccer” doubleheader. We’ll have the primary leg of that doubleheader, Buccaneers-Texans, lined right here!
Observe alongside as our staff of NFL reporters has you lined with all of the storylines in tonight’s showdown between Baker Mayfield and C.J. Stroud, all the way in which till kickoff and till the ultimate whistle!
