Coming into week five, a game between two 1-3 squads would likely not have been your choice for highest scoring game of the week. But that is exactly what happened between these two Florida teams. Despite four touchdown passes from Blake Bortles, it was not enough for the Jaguars as Tampa Bay won 38-31.
Doug Martin carried the load for Tampa Bay, as he rushed for 123 yards on 24 carries, including a long of 39 yards with two touchdowns. The Buccaneers relied heavily on the ground game today, rushing for 183 yards on 40 carries. Jameis Winston only had to throw 19 passes, completing 16 of them for 209 yards and a touchdown without an interception. His lone touchdown pass was to Martin.
It was the third of three straight road games for the Jaguars, who dropped the first in New England, lost in overtime last week in Indianapolis and then fell in this one. Bortles threw two touchdowns to Allen Robinson, another to top receiver Allen Hurns and another to running back T.J. Yeldon. However he was sacked six times and threw an interception that led to a Tampa Bay touchdown. It was his second career 300 yard game, the first one being at Tennessee in week six last year.
This was a game of streaks. With Jacksonville up 7-3 in the second quarter after a touchdown to Hurns, Tampa Bay scored 17 straight points. New kicker Connor Barth made a 45 yard field goal to make it 7-6 ad then Martin scored on a touchdown catch and then ran one in from a yard out. With just 36 seconds left before half, Bortles connected with Robinson for a touchdown to pull the Jaguars within six. It was part of a 17 point run for the Jaguars, who got a field goal in the third and then took the lead at 24-20 as Bortles connected with Yeldon for a touchdown.
Barth made a 47 yard field goal to get Tampa within one, and on the ensuing kickoff Corey Grant fumbled and Jacquies Smith returned it for the touchdown to put Tampa Bay back in the lead at 31-24 following the two point conversion. Jacksonville stalled again on their next possession and gave Tampa Bay a short field after the punt, and then Martin ran in for his second touchdown of the day to put Tampa up 38-24.
With 2:50 left and the Jaguars down two touchdowns, Bortles engineered an 86 yard touchdown drive in seven plays to get them within one score. But the Bucs recovered the onside kick and held on for the 38-31 win.
Next week the Jaguars will return home to face their division rival Houston Texans in a matchup of two 1-4 squads. The Bucs have a bye next week before going to Washington in week seven. This was the first win at home for the Bucs in the Lovie Smith era, and the Jaguars still have not won on the road in the Blake Bortles era. Both of these teams still have a way to go, but both of them have talented young signal callers who can be a little uneven at times, but both are guys a franchise can build around.