A 28-yard pass from quarterback Baker Mayfield to rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka put the Tampa Bay Buccaneers right on the edge of field goal range late in Sunday's matchup with the New York Jets. But trailing by one with roughly 90 seconds left on the clock, the Bucs needed some more yards to put the game on ice.
Offensive Coordinator Josh Grizzard opted to put the ball in the hands of wide receiver Sterling Shepard, who took a quick pass from Mayfield and picked his way through the defense for 20 yards, setting up kicker Chase McLaughlin's 36-yard game-winner.
It was Shepard's fourth catch of the afternoon, bringing him to a total of 80 yards on the day, the most the 10-year veteran has had in a game since 2021.
After the game, Mayfield, who played alongside Shepard at the University of Oklahoma, touted the 32-year-old receiver's ability to get open in key moments.
"He continues to find ways to win in man coverage and be there in clutch moments for us," said Mayfield.
Shepard played a key role on the Bucs' first touchdown drive of the game as well. First, he found a soft spot in the defense on a third down from just past midfield, connecting with a scrambling Mayfield for 16 yards to keep the drive alive. Baker went right back to his fellow former Oklahoma Sooner the next play, when Shepard took a screen pass 24 yards to the Jets' five, setting up a touchdown a play later.
The Mayfield-Shepard connection was on full display Sunday, but it dates back over a decade to the duo's time in Norman, Oklahoma. In 2015, Mayfield's first year quarterbacking the Sooners, Shepard emerged as his go-to target, putting up 1,288 yards and 11 touchdowns on 86 catches. Shepard went on to the NFL draft, where he was taken in the second round by the New York Giants, while Mayfield stayed in Norman for two more years.
Shepard recorded 372 catches and over 4,000 yards across eight seasons with the Giants, occasionally plagued by injuries. He joined Tampa Bay in 2024 at 31 years of age, reuniting with his college quarterback. Shepard quickly proved he was more than just a veteran presence in the locker room, starting five games and racking up 334 yards.
Three games into the 2025 season, Shepard is already almost halfway to besting that total.
"Shep is just 'old reliable,'" said Mayfield. "He's my crazy lunatic that I continue to lean on."
