Baker Mayfield shrugged off the “MVP!” chants the way he shook away from tacklers.
Mayfield's heroics came early in the fourth quarter instead of the final minutes as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the San Francisco 49ers 30-19 on Sunday.
Mayfield threw two touchdown passes and had a spectacular scramble to set up the score that sealed the win. Fans serenaded him with “MVP!” chants and many were still hailing Mayfield as they left Raymond James Stadium.
“It’s awesome to have support. Don’t get me wrong, but we’re just getting started," Mayfield said.
After winning four games with scores in the last minute, the Bucs didn’t need a late comeback as they increased their record to 5-1, best in the NFC.
They did need another crazy run by their quarterback, however.
Up 20-19 early in the fourth, the Buccaneers faced a third-and-14 at their 41. Mayfield ducked away from a sack in the pocket, escaped another defender, scrambled out of trouble, eluded more tackles and dove headfirst, stretching the ball to get a first down on third-and-14.
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“I was in disbelief like everybody else,” Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles said. “It happens every other week or so that he makes those types of plays and you just pray he doesn't get hurt or anything happens to him, but he has a knack. He has a knack that you can't teach or coach. It was an unbelievable play.”
A few plays later, Mayfield connected with rookie Tez Johnson on a 45-yard TD pass down the middle to give the Bucs a 27-19 lead. Johnson made an outstretched leaping catch, and the rookie celebrated his first career TD with an acrobatic flip in the end zone.
Mayfield credited Johnson with reacting to a weakness in the 49ers' defense on the play.
"Normally Tez is supposed to go across the field," Mayfield said. "But he recognized a little bit of a hole and void in the coverage, so he took it, and you can see and put his hand up. … Just a great adjustment by him."
49ers lose star linebacker Warner with broken ankle
The 49ers were driving for a potential tying score when Mac Jones threw an interception to Jamel Dean on fourth-and-5 from the Bucs' 33 with just under 6 minutes left.
The turnover led to Chase McLaughlin's 45-yard field goal that extended the lead to 30-19.
Playing through knee and oblique injuries, Jones threw for 347 yards with two picks, losing for the first time in four starts filling in for Brock Purdy.
“Obviously, didn't play my best,” Jones said. “I'm proud we went out there and fought. I just want to go out there and practice and see what I can do better.”
The injury-riddled 49ers (4-2) lost four-time All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner to a serious right ankle injury in the first quarter. Warner’s ankle appeared to turn sideways after a couple of players fell into him. San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan said Warner's ankle was broken and dislocated and that he will need season-ending surgery.
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Everyone on the 49ers bench came onto the field to see Warner before he left the field with an air cast on his ankle. “It's just heartbreaking,” Christian McCaffrey said.
San Francisco already was missing star edge rusher Nick Bosa, All-Pro tight end George Kittle, and wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Ricky Pearsall, along with Purdy and others. Wideout Jauan Jennings played with an ankle sprain and five broken ribs.
The Buccaneers, who were missing star receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and running back Bucky Irving, lost rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka to a hamstring injury in the second half. Egbuka had two catches for 24 yards before going down.
Backups step up because of injuries
Their absences forced Mayfield to turn to tight end Cade Otton, along with rookie Tez Johnson, second-year pro Kameron Johnson and veteran Sterling Shepherd in the passing game. Mayfied completed 17 of 23 for 256 yards with not interceptions.
"Those guys stepping up in a in a huge way and just hats off to them for being prepared and not shying away, not flinching when they're in there," Mayfied said.
Mayfield connected with a wide-open Kameron Johnson for a 34-yard TD to extend Tampa Bay’s lead to 20-13 late in the first half. It was his first career reception.
The Bucs went for the 2-point conversion following a roughing-the-passer penalty on the scoring pass but Rachaad White was stopped on a run.
Sean Tucker’s 9-yard TD run put the Buccaneers ahead 14-10 in the second quarter. Mayfield connected with Egbuka for 17 yards and Cade Otton for 23 on consecutive plays during the drive.
McCaffrey ran in from the 1 to give the 49ers a 10-7 lead. It was San Francisco’s first rushing TD of the season on the team’s 148th carry.
Kindle Vildor set up Tampa Bay’s first score with an interception at the 49ers' 25 that could have been a pick-6, but he stumbled twice before getting tackled at the 12. A few plays later, White ran in from the 2 to put the Bucs up 7-0.
White, who got the majority of the snaps at running back with Irving out, finished with 17 carries for 65 yards along with three catches for 21 yards.
“The run game was there early and often, and Rashad made some really good plays,” Mayfield said. “Tough running, tough sledding there against a physical defense that really flies to the ball.”
The Bucs' defense recorded six sacks on Jones, including a strip sack by a blitzing Dean that the the 49ers recovered on the last play of the first quarter. YaYa Diaby lead Tampa Bay with two sacks.
Bowles said Dean's sack was the best play "I have ever seen him make, so that goes down in history for me."
The Bucs, four-time defending NFC South champions, travel to Detroit to play the Lions next weekend for "Monday Night Football." Detroit (4-2) lost at Kansas City, 30-17, on Sunday night.
