Buccaneers Overcome Controversial Finger Gun Penalty And Get Mike Evans His Record In Clinching Playoff Spot

We support our Publishers and Content Creators. You can view this story on their website by CLICKING HERE.

It looked kind of rough for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a while Sunday – trailing much of the game and with the crowd in a rowdy mood following a controversial penalty – but it ended with a flurry.

The Buccaneers beat the embattled New Orleans Saints, 27-19. 

Tampa Bay wins the NFC South title.  And they are in the playoffs. 

“It feels great,” coach Todd Bowles said. 

Buccaneers Will Host Playoff Game

It was a great day for the Tampa Bay franchise that this season dealt with not one but two hurricane strikes to the west coast of Florida.

“We went through a lot of ups and downs this year – a lot of injuries, guys fought hard, we went through a hurricane, by the way, with a lot guys missing on both sides of the ball,” Bowles said, “so it’s even more gratifying throughout the year for us to come out on top this way.”

The Buccaneers will host a playoff game next weekend.

And we end up there but this day began solemnly enough following the New Year’s terrorist attack in New Orleans and that city’s NFL team as the visitors.

The Saints came to this game as if they wanted to prove something and carried a 16-6 lead into halftime. But the Bucs rallied behind two Baker Mayfield second-half TD passes and a defense that yielded only a second-half field goal.

So the game was pretty much sealed inside a minute to play. But that doesn’t mean that final minute was without drama. 

The Bucs had clinched the win and merely needed to take a knee to run out the final 36 seconds of the game. 

Mike Evans Ties Jerry Rice Record

But, you see, receiver Mike Evans was at 995 receiving yards for the season. And he needed those 5 yards to tie Jerry Rice’s all-time record of 11 consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 yards.

So the Bucs did the safe thing. They didn’t want to risk a pick six that could tie the game with a 2-point play. So, Bowles ordered a kneel down. 

No, he didn’t.

 Mayfield threw a short pass to Evans in the flat and Evans gained nine yards to tie Rice’s record. 

“It was awfully close,” Bowles said of the decision to pass or kneel. “It was a matter of what kind of pass we were going to throw. I didn’t want an interception. We talked about screens and slants… He’s earned it. He’s done everything for this organization and this team and we’re happy for him.

“It was a sigh of relief that we didn’t turn it over.”

There was no sigh otherwise. It was hectic most of the game, including with just under 11 minutes to play when receiver Jalen McMillan was flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for displaying the so-called finger gun sign after a first down.

McMillan Finger Guns Penalized

The crowd in Tampa went absolutely bonkers when the flag was thrown. But Mayfield came back to McMillan one play later for a 32-yard TD.

“He’s matured,” Bowles said of the receiver. “Even in getting the penalty he acknowledged it was on him. He had his fingers taped. It wasn’t really a gun salute. He pointed forward. But I told him the refs can’t really see the tape on his fingers.”

Bowles thought about arguing with the officials but the NFL is adamant about outlawing gun celebrations. And the fact the Saints were playing this game days after a terrorist attack, everyone’s sensitivities were probably heightened.

“Once they say he pointed a gun, you’re not going to argue too much,” Bowles said. “I argued a lot of calls which I didn’t win.”

Beyonce Did Finger Gun Salute

The irony in all this is the NFL hates players sending “the wrong message,” NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent has said. But a few weeks ago, the league put on a Beyoncé halftime show that was seen by millions of people worldwide.

The show came during the Houston Texans game against the Baltimore Ravens.

And guess what Beyoncé did practically the minute she stepped on stage?

Yeah, she did a fingergun motion. 

She did not draw an unsportsmanlike penalty.