Field Level Media
Sep 27, 2020
Tom Brady completed 25 of 38 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns, Mike Evans caught two TD passes, and the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Denver Broncos 28-10 on Sunday.
Chris Godwin had five receptions for 64 yards and a score, Scotty Miller had three catches for a game-high 83 yards and Ronald Jones II rushed for 53 yards for Tampa Bay (2-1).
Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski was targeted seven times and finished with six catches for 48 yards.
Broncos quarterback Jeff Driskel was 17-for-30 for 176 yards with one touchdown and an interception before being replaced by Brett Rypien in the fourth quarter. Rypien went 8-for-9 for 53 yards and an interception. Tim Patrick had four receptions for 43 yards and a touchdown for Denver (0-3).
The Broncos held the ball for 4:19 on the opening drive but stalled near midfield. Sam Martin's punt was blocked by Pat O'Connor, who scooped the loose ball and took it to the Denver 10. On third-and-10, Brady connected with Godwin, who stretched the ball over the goal line to give Tampa Bay a 7-0 lead.
Ryan Succop added a 43-yard field goal with 15 seconds left in the first quarter before Denver closed within 10-3 on Brandon McManus' 56-yard field goal early in the second quarter.
Brady then led the Buccaneers on a 12-play, 75-yard drive, capped with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Evans. After the Broncos went three-and-out on the ensuing drive, Brady again took Tampa Bay down the field and hit Evans with his second 1-yard touchdown pass to put the Buccaneers ahead 23-3. The PAT was blocked.
Evans became the third player in NFL history to finish a game with two catches for two yards and two touchdowns, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The others were Lee Folkins with the 1963 Dallas Cowboys and Howard Cross with the 1994 New York Giants.
Denver responded with a touchdown drive in the final minutes of the half. Driskel hit 6 of 7 passes on the drive, connecting with Patrick on a 7-yard touchdown pass with 14 seconds left to make it 23-10.
Tampa Bay went ahead 25-10 when Shaquil Barrett sacked Driskel in the end zone early in the third quarter for a safety.
Barrett had two of the Buccaneers' six sacks.
Lavonte David intercepted Driskel at midfield late in the third quarter, and Tampa Bay drove to Denver's 17-yard line before settling for Succop's 35-yard field goal for the final points.
--Field Level Media