Let’s start with the obvious:

Normally, teams don’t win games this way.

Not if they only complete 12 passes. Not if their quarterback gets sacked five times. Certainly not if they’re outgained by 247 yards.

The Bucs have played 49 seasons and 761 games, and Sunday’s 20-16 victory in Detroit was just the third time they have won a game while being outscored by such a large margin.

As you might expect, the previous two times included long touchdown returns that are not included in net yardage. A Ronde Barber 66-yard interception return against the Eagles in 2006 and a Karl Williams 73-yard punt return against Buffalo in 2000.

There were no such plays on Sunday. No special teams touchdowns, no defensive scores.

Just a little quarterback with a big heart.

No, Baker Mayfield didn’t single-handedly defeat the Lions. The defense, particularly a young secondary, deserves a lot of credit for keeping the Lions out of the end zone for most of the afternoon, despite allowing Jared Goff to throw for over 300 yards.

And the Lions made their share of blunders, including poor clock management late in the first half that cost them a field goal, a 41-yard pass interference penalty that gave them a field goal to the Bucs and two crucial interceptions by Goff.

But it was Mayfield who set the tone. It was Mayfield who danced, shot and evaded the Detroit pass rush. It was Mayfield who made plays at key moments. It was Mayfield who avoided momentum-killing mistakes.

The Detroit offense crossed midfield on nine different drives and scored 16 points. The Bucs drove into Lions territory only four times but scored 20 points. Goff had chances to win the game but came up short. Mayfield made just enough plays to win.

If you remember nothing else from this game, remember this.

This franchise has spent a lot of money on quarterbacks in the past. They used top-20 picks for Vinny Testaverde, Jameis Winston, Doug Williams, Trent Dilfer and Josh Freeman. They traded first-round picks for Chris Chandler and Jack Thompson. They stretched the salary cap to sign Tom Brady.

And yet I’m not sure they’ve ever had a quarterback like Mayfield.

He’s certainly not as successful as Brady or as talented as Steve Young or as efficient as Brad Johnson. In retrospect, he might have been a challenge as the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft by the Browns.

But Mayfield approaches the game with a ferocity that transcends size (he’s relatively small), speed (he’s not fast) and common sense (he’s reckless with his body). When Mayfield is in the huddle, hope is always within reach.

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The Bucs have gone from a quarterback who avoided contact at all costs to one with the fearlessness of an offensive lineman. There was a moment on Sunday when a running play by Rachaad White collapsed in the backfield and Mayfield tried to help by blocking an approaching safety.

Those are the moments teammates cherish and fans adore.

And when it was all over, it was the seventh time the Bucs won as underdogs with Mayfield. Then again, they’ve only lost two games while favored in his 21 starts, including the playoffs.

The sample size is admittedly small, and there’s a chance the rest of the season won’t go Tampa Bay’s way. The roster is young and already injured, and the Bucs can’t count on winning many games after being battered for three hours.

Mayfield entered Sunday night tied for the NFL lead in touchdown passes (5) and ranked second in passer rating (129.1), but those numbers likely won’t hold up. He’s never been a numbers guy, so don’t count on him to threaten the franchise records Brady set during his brief tenure in Tampa Bay.

On the other hand, it’s not a bad idea to plan your Sundays around Bucs games.

They may not have surpassed Detroit, San Francisco or Philadelphia as the NFC’s leading Super Bowl contender, but Mayfield is making the Bucs play entertaining, inspiring and — increasingly — winning football.

John Romano can be reached at [email protected]Follow @romano_tbtimes.

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