FULL BOX SCORE

1. Lamar Jackson lights up another Monday evening. If you thought Jackson’s 2023 MVP season was the peak of his powers, you quickly realized you were wrong. Jackson has taken his game to another level in 2024 and proved it again Monday night, shaking off a rough first possession and leading a fireworks show in the second and third quarters. After punting on their first drive, the Ravens went: touchdown, touchdown, field goal, field goal, touchdown, touchdown, fumble (on a backhanded pass from Jackson), touchdown. Baltimore scored 34 unanswered points after trailing 10-0, and Jackson stood in the middle, mapping the field with precise passes at varying depths before launching a majestic rocket to Rashod Bateman for a 49-yard touchdown pass that sent a message: These Ravens can’t be stopped. Jackson finished with a fantastic final stat line: 17 of 22 for 281 yards and five passing touchdowns, plus nine carries for 52 yards. This offense is buzzing and Jackson is the engine that drives it. We have a leader in our MVP race, folks.
2. Buccaneers learn the value of Mike Evans. The future Pro Football Hall of Famer made a nice grab on an underthrown pass for an early Buccaneers touchdown, once again proving himself as the loyal favorite target of Baker Mayfield. However, when Mayfield later looked at Evans in the end zone, Evans’ troubled hamstring had had enough. Evans dropped the ball and winced in pain as he grabbed his hamstring while lying behind the end line, ending his night and putting his immediate future in doubt. The same future became uncertain for the Buccaneers, who showed how important Evans is to their passing offense. Mayfield lost his favorite target, a receiver who Mayfield has leaned heavily on since arriving in Tampa in 2023, with nowhere else to turn Chris Godwin become the obvious remaining target. Once Evans left, the Buccaneers’ next four drives ended in two interceptions (including one in the end zone) and a missed field goal, and it wasn’t until the game was out of reach that Mayfield was able to find success with other receivers. Eliminating Evans from the equation undermines the Buccaneers entire offensive operation, and Monday night it was clear how much more difficult passing became for Mayfield without Evans on the field. Making matters worse, Godwin suffered a potentially significant ankle injury late in this game, creating a potentially nightmarish prospect for a Buccaneers offense that has been explosive for most of the first seven weeks of the season.
3. Raven’s defense comes off the mat. Marlon Humphrey On Monday night, Mayfield was fouled out twice in the first half, but that came at a cost. Humphrey suffered a knee injury against his second choice and did not return to the game, raising new concerns for a secondary player who has still not been welcomed back Arthur Maulet off injured reserve and played without a linebacker Malik Harrison. That’s it for the bad news though, as these Ravens have proven that an early haymaker won’t put them down for good. Baltimore quickly gave up 10 points, which could easily have been 14, and then responded by shutting down Tampa Bay’s offense until the game was within. After the Buccaneers’ trip that reached the Ravens’ 3-yard line, Tampa didn’t get close to the red zone again until the fourth quarter. Baltimore has developed an unsavory reputation as a team that takes a lot of leads, but their defense deserves some credit for staying upright on a key stretch, allowing their offensive extra possessions to produce points.
4. Tampa Bay is getting a reality check. At 4-2, the Buccaneers entered Monday night as favorites to win the NFC South and emerged as the most complete team in the division with an offense that could explode at any moment. They left Raymond James Stadium after this defeat with a different atmosphere. The losses of Evans and Godwin are obviously concerning, but so was their defense’s inability to stop the Ravens even once during their run of 34 straight points. Todd Bowles’ aggressive defense collapsed against Jackson and Co., and with the immediate futures of both Godwin and Evans in doubt, the Buccaneers will have to dig deep to find a way to keep up with the erratic Atlanta Falcons in a NFC South. race that is suddenly tight at the top.

Next-gen Ravens-Buccaneers stats (via NFL Pro): Dirk Hendrik reached a top speed of 35.72 km/h during his 81-yard run on Monday night, registering the fifth-fastest speed for a ball carrier this season and the third-fastest speed of Henry’s career. Buccaneers defensive backs Zyon McCollum reached 35.85 mph in pursuit of Henry to prevent Henry from scoring a touchdown.

NFL Research: Monday night marked the fifth career game in which Lamar Jackson recorded more than five passing touchdowns and zero interceptions, the most such feats in the NFL since Jackson entered the league in 2018. It was also his fifth career game with a 155+ passer rating. , tied with Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger for the most such games in NFL history.