Right from the kickoff, things didn’t look good for the Buccaneers. Luke Goedeke, Tampa Bay’s starting right tackle, suddenly hobbled off the field during the first quarter of Monday night’s clash against the Texans. The fans at Raymond James Stadium went silent, sensing trouble.

Shortly after leaving the field, Goedeke was seen getting treatment on his foot by a trainer. Charlie Heck took over at right tackle, trying to plug the gap. As the game rolled on, the situation only got worse for the Silver and Red. Reports quickly confirmed that Goedeke wouldn’t return for the rest of the night. The injury looked serious enough to knock him out early, much to the dismay of Buccaneers fans.

Interestingly, Goedeke wasn’t a full-go even before kickoff. He sat out practice on Thursday and Friday while nursing a foot problem. Then, he showed up for a full session on Saturday but still carried that questionable label into the game. But now he’s out. To make matters worse, this hit comes at a bad time.

Tampa Bay is already struggling up front without Tristan Wirfs, who just got back to practice this week. The Bucs need every healthy body they can get.

Thankfully, however, they did quite well for themselves even without the OT.

The Bucs did what they came to do

On Monday night, Tampa Bay pulled off a crazy last-minute win on the road. Baker Mayfield orchestrated an 11-play, 80-yard march downfield, capping it off with a two-yard rushing score by Rachaad White. With just six seconds left, the Buccaneers edged past the Texans 20-19. Now, they’re sitting at 2-0 in the 2025 season.

Mayfield passed for 215 yards with two touchdowns, and his 15-yard scramble on fourth-and-10 extended the drive that ultimately sealed the victory. The Texans had taken the lead earlier thanks to a 25-yard touchdown by Nick Chubb, and CJ Stroud’s two-point attempt failed after a sack. Stroud finished with 207 passing yards and a touchdown, couldn’t manage the offense well enough in the second half. It was clear the Bucs defense wasn’t giving them any breaks.

Also, both teams had their share of struggles after halftime. Chase McLaughlin failed to convert a 38-yard field goal attempt for Tampa Bay late in the third quarter. Early in the fourth, Houston reached first-and-goal but couldn’t capitalize, as Nico Collins was brought down just a yard shy of the end zone. Chubb was stuffed, and Stroud couldn’t connect on two more tries, leaving the Texans scoreless.

Then came the turning point. Jakob Johnson blocked Riley Dixon’s punt, giving the Bucs prime field position. Ka’imi Fairbairn nailed a 53-yard field goal to cut the lead to 14-13. Soon after, Chubb’s TD gave Houston the lead, but Mayfield kept his cool. The Bucs drove down the field and snatched the win in the final seconds.