Buccaneers kicker Nick Folk missed two field goals and an extra point during Sunday’s game against the Giants, but he was able to end the day on a high note.
Folk made a 34-yard field goal as time expired and the Buccaneers improved to 2-1 on the season with a 25-23 victory. The Buccaneers went 59 yards in nine plays to set up the kick with the biggest play coming on a 26-yard pass that Jameis Winston feathered to tight end Cameron Brate on a third down with 41 seconds left to play.
The Bucs were up 13-0, but had to rally for the win because the Giants were able to get off the mat once the second quarter started. They took the lead on a two-yard touchdown pass to Rhett Ellison, but their two-point try was unsuccessful when Odell Beckham stepped out of bounds before catching the ball in the back of the end zone.
The Giants first took the lead in the third quarter on another Manning touchdown pass, but they gifted the Buccaneers with great field position on a 15-yard punt by Brad Wing in the fourth quarter. Winston and Brate connected for a touchdown four plays later to set up the dramatic ending.
It’s the second week in a row that the Giants have lost on a field goal after recovering from a bad start to take the lead in the second half. Any positives they may want to take from their offensive performance, including a good game from rookie running back Wayne Gallman, are more than mitigated by the fact that they are now 0-4 and don’t seem to have the right formula to play a 60-minute game in all three phases.
The Bucs had their ups and downs on Sunday and Folk’s misses loomed large as the Giants comeback took shape, but they avoided turnovers after giving the ball away three times last week and held up well defensively with three starters on the shelf with injuries. Winston finished 22-of-38 for 332 yards and three touchdowns and Doug Martin is eligible to return when they face the Patriots on Thursday night.