ATLANTA -- It may have been his first NFL game, but Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka called his shot in the huddle with 1:04 to go and down 20-17 at the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Egbuka became just the second player since the 1970 merger to record a game-winning touchdown reception with under a minute remaining in regulation or overtime in his first career game, joining Ernest Wilford of the Jacksonville Jaguars against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 12, 2004.
It was the second touchdown catch of the game for Ohio State's all-time receptions leader whom the Bucs selected 19th overall in the 2025 NFL draft.
"Shoot to kill," Egbuka said.
"Get to the two-minute warning and then gather your breath and go," quarterback Baker Mayfield said. "We were looking to go down and score. It wasn't about getting the field goal to tie and go to overtime. We were looking to go score ..."
After all, they'd lost in overtime in Week 5 at Atlanta last year and were beaten at home by the Falcons in Week 8 without stars Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
The Bucs lined up five wide with an empty backfield on first down. On the right side of the formation out of trips, Egbuka ran a post route on the outside, Evans an in-route to Egbuka's left and Sterling Shepard a hitch route, which was designed to overload that side of the field. With Evans occupying the attention in the middle of the field, Egbuka drew one-on-one coverage from cornerback Mike Hughes on the outside -- the perfect chance for Mayfield to take his shot for the go-ahead touchdown.
"You can't get much of a better ball than that," Egbuka said. "The ball got hung up in the lights a little bit, so I had to make sure I really concentrated to be able to haul it in. It was a very memorable moment."
But bright lights he is no stranger to, including the ones inside Mercedes Benz Stadium, where he helped lead the Buckeyes to a College Football Playoff national championship eight months ago.
"Film, preparation, knowing the look, knowing the opponent, and knowing the trust with the quarterback that we had back in August," Egbuka said. "We kind of got the look that we drew it up for -- Baker threw a perfect ball, honestly -- and made it easy on me. And when he can make my job that easy, it makes it look good. But honestly, a lot of credit goes to him and to God."
Like Week 8 last year, the Bucs were again without two of their top wideouts in Godwin, who is still recovering from ankle surgery but did pass his physical, and Jalen McMillan due to sprained neck suffered in the second preseason game at the Pittsburgh Steelers. They were also missing All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs, who is still recovering from knee surgery, with Mayfield playing behind a completely reworked offensive line.
Mayfield also had issues with the deep ball, going 3-of-10 on passes of 15 or more air yards, and with the Falcons' blitzes, making Egbuka's steadiness even more vital. Mayfield's game-winning touchdown pass had a 24.9% completion probability, his most improbable completion of the game, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
"I just think the way he carries himself -- I've told you guys, it wasn't a front, you saw it live today, in person -- he's the real deal," Mayfield said. "True professional. Doesn't play like a rookie. Doesn't act like a rookie. His head is never spinning. He made some unbelievable catches and plays today for us. Obviously, going to continue to lean on him."
The Bucs leaned on him early too. After going three-and-out on the first two possessions and then being held to a field goal on their third, the Bucs got a huge break when Calijah Kancey and YaYa Diaby stuffed Bijan Robinson on a fourth-and-1 for a turnover on downs. That's when Mayfield found Egbuka for a 30-yard touchdown going across the field in which Mayfield slipped it right past Xavier Watts.
Coach Todd Bowles said that Egbuka was more than prepared for this moment.
"For him, this is nothing. For him, they play a lot bigger games in 'The Big House,'" Bowles said, referring to the Buckeyes' biggest opponent, the Michigan Wolverines. "They have a lot more people than Atlanta and in Tampa, so this was a routine game for him. He's up for the task. He's everything we've been talking about since he got here. Everybody's starting to see it, obviously, because it's real time and it's a real game. He played with so much poise, and Baker [Mayfield] played with so much poise."
