TAMPA, Fla. _ Bucs rookie kicker Matt Gay missed a 34-yard field goal as time expired and the Tampa Bay blew an 18-point halftime lead Sunday to fall to the previously winless New York Giants, 32-31.
Giants rookie quarterback Daniel Jones threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third, a 7-yarder with 1:16 to play, in his NFL debut. The Bucs are 3-13 against opposing rookie quarterbacks since 2011.
Gay's fourth field goal of the day, a 23-yarder with six minutes to play, gave the Bucs a 31-25 lead and Tampa Bay's first points of the second half.
The Bucs' 18-point halftime lead had shrunk to three points, and an awful throw by Jameis Winston led to an interception that gave the Giants a chance to take the lead.
But Bucs defensive end Shaq Barrett continued his assault, swatting the ball out of Jones' hands, causing a fumble the Bucs recovered before Gay's field goal. Barrett already had three quarterback sacks before causing the turnover.
Jones threw touchdown passes on the first two drives of the second half Sunday to cut the Bucs' lead to 28-25.
Jones completed 17 of his first 25 passes for 265 yards in his NFL debut after replacing Eli Manning as the Giants starter this week. His 7-yard touchdown pass to Sterling Shepard at 8:14 in the third quarter continued the Giants' rally from a 18-point halftime deficit.
Giants tight end Evan Engram's 75-yard touchdown reception on the first play of the second half interrupted the Mike Evans show.
Engram's sprint down the east sideline with a pass from rookie quarterback Daniel Jones breathed life into the Giants, who saw Evans catch a career-high three touchdown passes _ all in the first half.
Engram's score also was a shot in the arm for a Giants offense that lost star running back Saquon Barkley for the game to an ankle injury.
He never really went anywhere, but Mike Evans had a quiet first two weeks of the 2019 season.
He made up for that in the first half Sunday.
Evans caught a career-high three touchdown passes from Jameis Winston to give the Bucs a 28-10 halftime lead over the New York Giants.
Evans, who combined for only six catches against the 49ers and Panthers, had six receptions for 131 yards and the three scores in two quarters.
Seven times Evans had caught at least two touchdown passes in a game, but never three until his 20-yard scoring reception Sunday 1:26 before halftime.
Bucs rookie kicker Matt Gay had as many field goals as Evans had touchdowns at halftime, hitting a 52-yard as time expired. Gay also nailed 47 and 27-yarders. The half, however, was a bit harrowing.
Gay missed his first point-after try and had the second blocked. You may have heard about the Bucs' problems with kickers, which they attempted to remedy by drafting Gay in the fifth round of the NFL draft in April.
But a Winston-to-Evans connection, this one for 55 yards, set up Gay's first field goal.
