The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ crucial game against the Carolina Panthers had to be briefly interrupted on Sunday when a usual spectator waddled onto the field.
In a funny twist in the NFC South game, a duck found its way onto the Raymond James Stadium lawn during the third quarter of the Bucs’ dominant 48-14 win.
The female Mallard looked unfazed on the 20-yard sideline, despite the high-stakes action unfolding around it, as she managed to get a great view of a blocked kick by Tampa Bay.
Buccaneers’ outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka blocked the punt, which was recovered by inside linebacker JJ Russell and returned 23 yards for a touchdown, extending the score to 41-14.
The score remained 41-14 through the remainder of the third quarter, before Tampa Bay continued its rout in the fourth with another touchdown.
A duck wandered onto the field at Raymond James Stadium during an NFL game on Sunday
The Buccaneers’ victory over the Panthers was briefly interrupted when the Duck was led away
The duck found its way onto the field after appearing to fly to Raymond James Stadium and choosing the turf as a landing spot.
After trying to evade multiple attempts by stadium staff to usher him off the field, the Duck was eventually gently led to the Bucs’ sideline without incident.
The duck was scooped up by a gameday worker who was able to carry it from the sideline to the tunnel, according to the spokesperson. ESPN. He was then released outside where he flew away.
The bird was repeatedly shown on the jumbotron, much to the delight of the fans in the stadium, who cheered and even shouted “Ducky!” every time it appeared on the big screen. started singing.
“That was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen here,” wide receiver Mike Evans said of the duck.
‘That was our lucky duck. I’ve never seen us block a punt and then score a touchdown. When the duck flew across the field, it was amazing.”
The Buccaneers went on to earn the victory, thanks to Baker Mayfield’s five touchdown passes.
Former Oregon Duck Bucky Irving, who claimed the duck’s appearance was a sign his former school would win the national championship, ran for 113 yards on 20 carries, while Evans caught eight passes for 97 yards and two touchdowns.
With the win, Tampa Bay improved to 9-7 and kept their playoff chances alive. Todd Bowles’ team got an extra boost later on Sunday night when the Atlanta Falcons were defeated in overtime by the Washington Commanders.
The result placed the playoff race firmly in Tampa Bay’s hands. With one game of the regular season remaining, if the Bucs can beat the New Orleans Saints this weekend, they will capture their fourth straight NFC South Division title.