Tristan Wirfs' TD catch and late defensive stop help Buccaneers beat Cardinals 20-17

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TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tristan Wirfs dropped back in pass protection, let the rusher run by him and jogged into the end zone with nobody around, waiting for Baker Mayfield to throw him a pass for the first time in his NFL career.

Mayfield did and Wirfs caught it.

Mayfield tossed a 2-yard touchdown pass to the two-time All-Pro left tackle, Tampa Bay’s defense held in the final two minutes and the Buccaneers beat the Arizona Cardinals 20-17 on Sunday to snap a three-game losing streak.

“It’s crazy. All week he was giving me floaters and he kind of threw me a bullet so I was kind of nervous, like, ‘Don’t drop it,’" Wirfs said. "I was excited. I saw Budda Baker run to the right and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, he might throw it to me.’ I was nervous Budda might smoke me. I thought he might’ve read out of it. But it’s awesome. Catching a touchdown in the NFL is a pretty cool feeling.”

Mayfield, who started after sitting out the second half of a 34-7 loss to the Rams because of a left shoulder injury, threw for 194 yards and ran for 27 to help the Buccaneers (7-5) remain atop the NFC South.

“It's playoff mentality from here on out,” Mayfield said. “We're in control of our own destiny but it's not going to be easy.”

Jacoby Brissett, making his seventh start filling in for Kyler Murray, threw a wide pass incomplete on fourth-and-2 from the Cardinals 17 with under a minute remaining.

Arizona (3-9) has lost four straight and nine of 10.

“It comes down to a couple plays, all three phases, and you're going against a good football team, you got to make those plays,” Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said. “It starts with us coaches that we're making sure on the details and we start converting those plays.”

Down 17-3, the Cardinals finally got going in the third quarter.

Brissett connected with Bam Knight on a 22-yard TD to cut it to 17-10.

Tampa Bay’s defense made a big stop when Arizona when for it on fourth-and-1 from its 39. Knight was stuffed by Anthony Nelson after taking a pitch.

The Bucs couldn’t do much with the field position and Chase McLaughlin hit a 57-yard field goal to increase the lead to 20-10.

But Brissett drove the Cardinals 73 yards, throwing a 15-yard TD pass to Trey McBride to trim the deficit to 20-17.

Arizona’s defense held and Riley Dixon boomed a punt that Greg Dortch fielded at the 5 instead of allowing it to go into the end zone for a touchback. He was tackled at the 9 and the offense couldn’t do anything.

Penalties cost Tampa Bay two TDs on the same drive that ended with Wirfs making his first career catch on a tackle-eligible play.

First, a pass interference penalty on wide receiver Tez Johnson wiped out Mayfield’s 15-yard TD pass to Rachaad White.

Then, a holding call on tight end Payne Durham negated a 1-yard TD run by Bucky Irving.

On third down from the 2, Mayfield dropped back and stared right as Wirfs slipped into the end zone and made the catch that gave the Buccaneers a 10-0 lead.

On the previous drive, the Bucs missed an opportunity when Chris Godwin dropped a touchdown pass over the middle on third down and they settled for McLaughlin’s 25-yard field goal.

After Arizona’s Chad Ryland missed a 43-yard field goal, Irving scored on a 13-yard TD run to extend Tampa Bay’s lead to 17-3 in the third quarter.

Playing his first game since Week 4, Irving had 61 yards rushing and 20 receiving.

Brissett completed his first six passes on Arizona’s opening drive before he tried to force a pass into coverage that was batted by Jamel Dean and picked off by Antoine Winfield Jr. at Tampa Bay’s 14.

The Cardinals had a first down at the Buccaneers 45 on their first drive of the third quarter when Knight fumbled.

Down 10-3 midway through the third quarter, the Cardinals had a fourth-and-3 at the Buccaneers 25. Gannon didn’t go for it and Ryland was wide right.

Cardinals: WR Andre Baccellia (arm) was injured in the second half but came back. ... WR Marvin Harrison Jr. returned after missing two games following surgery for an appendectomy but exited in the fourth quarter with a heel injury. ... DL Walter Nolen (knee) and RB Emari Demercado (ankle) didn’t play.

Buccaneers: Irving returned after missing seven games. ... WR Mike Evans (clavicle), RG Luke Haggard (shoulder) and CB Benjamin Morrison (hamstring) didn't play.

Cardinals: Host the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday.

Buccaneers: Host the New Orleans Saints next Sunday.

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