Baker Mayfield threw two touchdown passes to Mike Evans and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took advantage of Jacksonville's offensive follies to beat the visiting Jaguars 30-12 on Sunday.
Mayfield was 26-for-35 for 283 yards, including seven completions to Evans for 86 yards. Chase McLaughlin made three field goals for Tampa Bay (8-7), including a 51-yarder in the third quarter.
Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who cleared concussion protocol after a week of uncertainty, was 17-for-29 for 211 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in three quarters. C.J. Beathard replaced Lawrence in the fourth quarter after he was ruled out with a right shoulder injury.
Evan Engram caught 10 passes for 95 yards and Calvin Ridley had six receptions for 90 yards and both of Jacksonville's touchdowns.
The Jaguars (8-7), who trailed 30-0 late in the third quarter, fell into a tie for first place with Indianapolis and Houston in the AFC South.
In the NFC South, Tampa Bay holds a one-game lead on New Orleans and Atlanta with two weeks left.
The Buccaneers used up more than half of the first quarter before the Jaguars even took an offensive snap. A 14-play drive that consumed 7:38 resulted in McLaughlin's 24-yard field goal. Mayfield threw for 59 yards on the drive, which included three third-down conversions.
Tampa Bay went up 10-0 when Mayfield hooked up with Evans on a 3-yard touchdown. Then, McLaughlin was good from 31 yards out to stretch the lead with 2:27 to play in the first half.
The second touchdown for Evans came on a 22-yard play with 45 seconds left in the half, which ended with a 20-0 Bucs lead.
Jacksonville had four first-half possessions, with those ending in an interception by Devin White, Brandon McManus' miss on a 52-yard field goal, an interception by Antoine Winfield Jr. and a punt.
The Jaguars got the ball to begin the second half and fumbled three plays later.
The Buccaneers needed to go only 37 yards to stretch their lead to 27-0 on Rachaad White's 2-yard run.
Trailing by 30, the Jaguars finally scored in the final minute of the third quarter on Lawrence's 18-yard pass to Ridley. Beathard found Ridley for a 1-yard score late in the fourth.
--Field Level Media
Jacksonville | Tampa Bay | |
Trevor Lawrence | Player | Rachaad White |
4 | Attempts | 20 |
29 | Yards | 39 |
7.2 | Avg Yards | 2.0 |
0 | Touchdowns | 1 |
15 | Long | 11 |
Jacksonville | Tampa Bay | |
Evan Engram | Player | Mike Evans |
10 | Receptions | 7 |
95 | Yards | 86 |
9.5 | Avg Yards | 12.3 |
0 | Touchdowns | 2 |
14 | Long | 22 |
Yards | Scoring | Defense | ||||||
Team | Tot | Rus | Pas | TD | FG | INT | Sck | FF |
Jacksonville | 305 | 37 | 268 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 0 |
Tampa Bay | 335 | 70 | 265 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4.0 | 2 |