Frenetic start. Frenetic finish. In between, a fairly boring Week 2 Monday night game eventually won by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who defeated the Houston Texans 20-19.
A matchup of 2024 division winners wasn’t nearly as exciting as their shootout from two years ago – both clubs finished in first place in 2023, too – won 39-37 by the Texans. But Monday ended with a flurry, Bucs QB Baker Mayfield orchestrating an 11-play, 80-yard TD drive in the closing minutes that provided the final margin while snapping Tampa Bay’s five-game losing streak to Houston.
While the 2-0 Buccaneers are headed in the right direction to capture a fifth straight NFC South crown, the winless Texans find themselves in a significant early hole.
But winners and losers from Monday night’s opener of a two-game act run deeper than that …
Four seasons, four consecutive 2-0 starts − all culminating in division crowns − for the Bucs' unassuming head man.
