Tampa Bay QB Mike Glennon finally got his first win as a pro against Miami on Monday night. (
TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are finally in the win column.
The Bucs beat the Miami Dolphins 22-19 on Monday night, winning their first game of the season.
Tampa Bay (1-8) led 15-0 late in the second quarter, but the Dolphins (4-5) staged a furious rally, scoring on their final drive of the first half and outscoring the Bucs 12-0 in the third quarter to take a 19-15 lead.
The Bucs replied in impressive fashion.
Running back Bobby Rainey had a 31-yard run to Miami’s 1-yard line and then scored his first career touchdown to give the Bucs a 22-19 lead with 10:26 left to play in the game.
After trading possessions, the Dolphins nearly forced the Buccaneers to punt from their own 15-yard line with 5:50 to play, but a personal foul on linebacker Philip Wheeler for hitting quarterback Mike Glennon in the helmet after a third-down incompletion gave Tampa Bay a new set of downs, changing the field position the Dolphins would get.
Tampa Bay was eventually forced to punt, backing the Dolphins up to their own 5-yard line with 3:08 to play, needing a field goal to tie the game. After a few first downs, Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill was sacked on back-to-back plays immediately following the two-minute warning and then threw an incompletion to set up 4th-and-27 with 1:44 left.
Tannehill’s deep pass to receiver Mike Wallace was intercepted by cornerback Darrelle Revis, setting the Bucs up for their first win of the season.
The Buccaneers raced to a 15-7 halftime lead.
Florida’s other NFL team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, won their first game of the year Sunday, leaving Tampa Bay as the only winless team in the league, but the Bucs made a strong first-half statement in their effort to leave that behind.
Rookie running back Mike James, Tampa Bay’s starter, carried the Bucs down the field on the opening drive before an unlikely 1-yard third-down touchdown pass to left tackle Donald Penn, who had reported as an eligible receiver on the play, put the Buccaneers ahead 7-0.
After the Dolphins went three-and-out, the Bucs offense again raced toward the end zone before settling for a 24-yard Rian Lindell field goal with 5:31 left in the first quarter.
Tampa Bay didn’t have to punt the ball until the second quarter, when Michael Koenen’s kick was downed on Miami’s 2-yard line. On second-and-11, Bucs linebacker Lavonte David broke through the Dolphins offensive line and tackled Daniel Thomas for a safety.
Lindell added a 35-yard field goal on the ensuing Tampa Bay drive to give the Bucs a 15-0 lead.
The Dolphins got on the board with 28 seconds left in the opening half on a 6-yard pass from Tannehill to receiver Rishard Matthews that finished a nine-play, 90-yard drive.
NOTES: Bucs RB Mike James’ night got off to a quick start but also ended early. The rookie running back carried the ball five times for 41 yards on Tampa Bay’s first drive of the night, but limped back to the huddle after a 3-yard run on second-and-goal from the 4-yard line and dropped to the ground clutching his left ankle. James was carted off the field and was officially announced as “out” soon after. James’ departure, in addition to Doug Martin (shoulder) being
placed on injured reserve this week, meant Brian Leonard became the Bucs’ primary ball carrier. … Tampa Bay legend Warren Sapp was placed in the Buccaneers’ Ring of Honor on Monday night, becoming the fifth player to receive that recognition. The defensive tackle joins coach John McKay, defensive lineman Lee Roy Selmon, tight end Jimmie Giles and tackle Paul Gruber in the Ring of Honor. Twenty-one of Sapp’s teammates from the Bucs’ 2002 Super Bowl-winning team were on hand to support Sapp. … The Dolphins were nearly shut out in the first half for the first time this season. Their previous low for first-half points was six in a season-opening win over the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 8. Prior to their scoring drive late in the first half, the Dolphins had just 31 yards of total offense.
