Bucs coach Todd Bowles: ‘We wanted to win one for the city’

NEW ORLEANS — As a team, they could run from Hurricane Milton. But there was no way for the Bucs to escape the dread of what was happening to their community, to their homes, to the life they have built in Tampa Bay.

Milton forced 350 members of the organization, including their families and pets, to evacuate to New Orleans on Tuesday.

They played a game at the Superdome on Sunday, a fortress of concrete that was so damaged by Hurricane Katrina it displaced the Saints for the 2005 season.

The Bucs came out with purpose Sunday, building a 17-0 lead before allowing 27 points to the Saints in the second quarter.

But they weathered it, and like the Tampa Bay area they represent, regrouped and played with pride and purpose until they had a 51-17 victory that they hoped provided a welcome distraction for hurricane-torn Tampa Bay.

“It makes it extra special for these guys,” coach Todd Bowles said. “The biggest thing, a lot of them were playing with heavy hearts, just seeing what was happening in Tampa Bay. Our hearts pour out to Tampa Bay. It’s a tough city. It’s a strong city that we’re going back to.

“But in our small part, we wanted to win one for the city, and we want to try and help any way we can when we get back. Going through a week like this and coming out on top, it made the guys feel special.”

You want special? The Bucs had a franchise-record 594 total yards, the most by any team this season. It was only the second time the team had ever scored 50 points in a game, just shy of the club-best 55 they tallied against the Rams in Los Angeles in 2019.

They rushed for 277 yards, the most of any team this season, and were led by second-year running back Sean Tucker. Prior to Sunday, the former Syracuse star had only 17 career rushing attempts. On Sunday, he went for 136 yards on 14 carries and a score while adding a 36-yard touchdown reception.

Antoine Winfield Jr., in his first game back from an ankle injury since the season opener, returned a fumble 58 yards for a touchdown.

But the Saints scored all their points in a disastrous second quarter for the Bucs, in which they allowed a 54-yard punt return for a touchdown by Rashid Shaheed and Baker Mayfield threw three interceptions.

It was reminiscent of their overtime loss to Atlanta 10 days earlier when they failed to put away the Falcons in the second half.

“We had to learn from our mistakes, especially playing games in the division,” receiver Chris Godwin said. ”Those are always tough games. You can never let your foot off the gas. We made that mistake last week. So we learned from our mistakes.”

Godwin had an enormous game, finishing with 11 catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns. But it was his 55-yard catch and run for a score in the third quarter that gave the Bucs a lead they wouldn’t let go of. He grabbed a short pass, and with his heart in his throat, broke three tackles on the way to the end zone.

“It was a checkdown,” Godwin said. “We had a shot called downfield and they covered that up. … It ended up being perfect timing, breaking (three) tackles. I didn’t see anybody in front of me and said, ‘I can’t get caught.’ That was the only thing running through my mind.”

Meanwhile, the Bucs defense made an adjustment against Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler. The rookie, who was making his first NFL start, played well in the first half, passing for 140 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 21.

Rather than have their outside linebackers drop into coverage, Bowles had them set the edge to keep Rattler in the pocket. The defense compiled four or their five sacks in the second half and intercepted him twice.

The victory improved the Bucs to 4-2 overall, but the week of anguish and displacement also galvanized them.

Tim Jarocki, the Bucs’ senior director of team operations, spearheaded an effort that began more than a week before the storm struck.

It was a massive evacuation that in New Orleans alone ultimately involved three hotels, three chartered planes, practice at Tulane University and 16 buses for players, coaches and sponsors.

But there also were moments of levity, like when Jarocki helped do bed check Saturday night and was nearly attacked by a dog belonging to one of the players.

“We did bed checks last night and opening one of the doors, one of the dogs was almost lunging at us, like the postman,” said Jarocki, laughing. “Then you see the player just grab the dog and close the door. It was an interesting part of the trip to at least provide a laugh out of it.”

The Bucs considered sending family members and their pets home Friday but decided against it, not knowing whether they would be returning to damaged homes.

“Even right now, we’re working with block rooms in Tampa for the people that were coming back that don’t know if they have power,” Jarocki said. “We’re trying to figure out where we can put them for who knows how long. Because the thing is, there’s a lot of stuff going on in Tampa that we don’t know about just yet because we haven’t been to Tampa since Tuesday morning.

“Some people know they don’t have power. Some people are going back and perhaps don’t know. I know we have at least one player whose house is under 4 or 5 feet of water, so we’re looking to get an apartment for him and his family as opposed to a hotel. Is there going to be enough gas? Are the roads okay?”

Ultimately, they decided to keep everyone together. Not as a team. As a family.

“We came as a family, you leave as a family,” Jarocki said. “If we’re going back to good, bad or indifferent, we’re doing it together.”

The Bucs prevailed Sunday, and it counts as one victory, but it meant so much more than that.

“It’s a tiny break from what they’ve been dealing with,” Bowles said. “But if we gave them a chance to smile for a couple hours, and while everybody went through what they went through, that was worth it right there. I tell the guys all the time, and we talk about family as a team, as long as your family is safe, all the other things are replaceable. We’re going to do everything we can to try to take care of ourselves, our team and help our community.”

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