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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Rapid Reaction: Buccaneers 28, Jets 24

The Bucs win a thriller in MetLife on a perfectly executed two-minute drill to improve to 12-4 on the season. 

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The New York Jets won the toss to begin the game but elected to receive, putting the Buccaneer defense on the field first. In a very uncharacteristic series, Tampa Bay gave up a 57-yard run to New York's Michael Carter that got them within striking distance quickly. A trick play where Carter took the direct snap then pitched it on a reverse to wide receiver Braxton Berrios got the Jets on the board first, 7-0, with 12:04 left in the first quarter.

Fortunately for Tampa Bay, quarterback Tom Brady did quarterback Tom Brady things and answered with a touchdown drive of his own. The 13-play, 75-yard drive culminated in a fade to wide receiver Mike Evans in the end zone to tie the game with 5:43 left in the first.

The Jets then answered again with a 13-play, 74-yard drive of their own. This one ended in a touchdown pass from quarterback Zach Wilson to Berrios, giving the Jets a 14-7 lead with 13:43 left in the second quarter.

Despite getting to the 21-yard line on their next drive, the Bucs' offense would stall. They'd settle for the 39-yard field goal, making the score 14-10 with 10:50 remaining in the first half.

Finally, the Bucs' defense would look a little more like itself. After starting at their own 17, the Jets would barely get across midfield before they'd stall out and be forced to punt for the first time in the game, giving the ball back to the Bucs' offense with 8:44 on the clock.

Unfortunately, the Bucs traded a punt right back after a big third-down sack of Brady would stall Tampa Bay at midfield. The Jets took back over at their own 21 as the teams approached the two-minute warning.

Another possession, another punt as the Jets surrendered the ball back to the Bucs with 54 seconds remaining before halftime, giving Brady and Co. one last first-half chance to put points on the board.

Unfortunately, that chance was given back to the Jets after Brady was intercepted by defensive back Michael Carter Jr. The Jets were then able to turn that into a field goal and went into halftime up 17-10 on the Bucs.

The second half didn't start out any better for Tampa Bay. A penalty that should have been wasn't called in favor of a penalty that shoulnd't have been on center Ryan Jensen for unnecessary roughness that put the Bucs in a third and 20 situation they wouldn't get out of. They punted their first possession of the second half away, surrendering the ball to the Jets after just a couple minutes.

The Jets moved down the field with ease and put seven more points on the board thanks to a goal-line handoff to running back Ty Johnson. It put New York up 24-10 with 6:56 left in the third quarter.

It would take a fourth down conversion at the four-yard line but the Bucs would answer with a score of their own finally. Brady hit tight end Cam Brate in the end zone after a couple big passes to Gronk on the way there. It cut the Jets lead to 24-17 with 29 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

The defense held up their end of the deal, forcing another Jets punt behind a third down sack by Anthony Nelson. The Jets would return the favor for the Bucs' offense on the next drive though, unfortunately and after Tampa Bay punted from the Jets' 39, New York started inside their own 10.

They wouldn't get anywhere thanks again to the defense and they'd punt from their own nine with just over 11 minutes to play in the game.

It was a short punt and the Bucs would take over at their own 47. They'd get all the way to the nine-yard line before having to ultimately settle for a field goal by Ryan Succop. It made the score 24-20 with 7:36 left in the game.

Unfortunately, the Jets would be able to waste a lot of time going down the field but ultimately came up empty after getting stuffed on fourth and 2 at the goal line. The Bucs' offense would take over from their own seven with 2:12 left in the game and no timeouts left.

Then, the unthinkable happened. The Bucs spanned 93 yards as Brady threw pass after pass down the field. It culminated in a 33-yard bomb to none other than wide receiver Cyril Grayson. The Bucs then very boldly went for two and made the score 28-24 with 15 seconds left. That's where it would remain as time expired and the Bucs improved to 12-4 on the season.

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