Live updates: Bucs hold off Seahawks in Germany

If you are viewing this story via our mobile app and are unable to see videos and tweets, click here.

Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes and Leonard Fournette ran for one as the Bucs held off the Seahawks 21-16 Sunday in Munich in the first NFL regular-season game played in Germany.

With its second straight win, Tampa Bay evened its record at 5-5 and extended its lead in the NFC South to one game. Seattle dropped to 6-4.

It was the first overseas victory for the Bucs, who lost the three games they played in London.

Tom Brady’s 4-yard touchdown toss to Chris Godwin with just under 11 minutes remaining gave Tampa Bay a 21-3 lead.

But Geno Smith scoring passes of 21 yards to Tyler Lockett and 19 to Marquise Goodwin brought Seattle back to within 21-16 with nearly four minutes still to play.

However, the Bucs’ offense stepped up when their defense couldn’t, picking up four first downs on their final drive to run out the clock. Running back Rachaad White did most of the work, rushing four times for 34 yards, giving him 105 for the game on 22 carries.

Brady completed 22 of 29 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns, including a 31-yarder to Julio Jones in the second quarter. He also threw an interception.

Godwin caught six passes for 71 yards and a touchdown. Mike Evans had five receptions for 54 yards.

Fournette ran for 57 yards and a 1-yard touchdown on 14 carries before leaving in the fourth quarter with a hip injury.

Oddly, he, too, threw an interception. Taking a direct snap in the third quarter, he threw to Brady, who was split out wide to the left. But the quarterback slipped and fell, and cornerback Tyriq Woolen picked off the errant pass.

It was the fourth different country in which Brady has won an NFL game, having previously done so in the United States, England and Mexico.

Here’s how it happened:

From bad ... to worse

Moments after it was reported that Bucs running back Leonard Fournette is doubtful to return with a hip injury, Tom Brady threw an interception in Tampa Bay territory.

Linebacker Cody Barton picked off a Brady pass intended for Mike Evans short over the middle at the Tampa Bay 46, giving Seattle new life.

Geno Smith completions of 7 yards to Colby Parkinson and 10 to Tyler Lockett on fourth and 4 moved the ball to the 28. Smith then scrambled for 9 yards to the 19.

Smith nearly connected with tight end Noah Fant in the left corner of the end zone, but Fant was unable to get his second foot down in bounds, making it third and 1.

Smith handed off to running back Kenneth Walker III, but he was stopped for no gain, bringing up fourth down.

Stay updated on Tampa Bay’s sports scene

Subscribe to our free Sports Today newsletter

We’ll send you news and analysis on the Bucs, Lightning, Rays and Florida’s college football teams every day.

Loading...

You’re all signed up!

Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.

Explore all your options

Seattle lined up in the shotgun and Smith faked a handoff before rolling to his left and throwing to Marquise Goodwin, who laid out in the end zone to make the catch in front of cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting.

Quick response

With his team tailing by 18 early in the fourth quarter, Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith quickly responded to Tom Brady’s second touchdown pass with one of his own.

Smith completed 5 of 6 passes as Seattle drove 77 yards to pull to within 21-9 with 8:20 remaining.

Smith found Tyler Lockett in the middle of the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown, but his pass for wide receiver Penny Hart on the two-point conversion attempt was incomplete.

Can’t be stopped

The Bucs found a nice run-pass balance during a drive that stretched from late in the third quarter to early in the fourth and gave them an 18-point lead.

They converted yet another third down on a 12-yard pass from Tom Brady to Chris Godwin down the middle. One play later, Rachaad White rumbled 29 yards over left guard for another first down at the Seahawks’ 43, throwing down safety Quandre Diggs at the end of the run.

After a 2-yard run by White, Brady fired a bullet to Cade Otton deep over the middle for 25 yards to the Seattle 16. Brady’s other tight end, Cameron Brate, took a screen pass 8 yards to the 7, setting up third and 1.

White picked up the first down on a 3-yard run over left guard. Two plays later, Brady found Godwin on the left side of the end zone for a touchdown, extending the Bucs’ lead to 21-3 with 10:48 to play.

Outsmarting themselves

The Bucs picked up where they left off in the first half, converting two third downs to keep the chains moving on their first possession of the third quarter.

Tom Brady threw a 5-yard pass to Julio Jones out to the right for one first down, then Rachaad White picked up another on a 2-yard run around left end.

Brady completions of 8 yards to Cade Otton and 18 to Chris Godwin moved the ball to the Seahawks’ 22.

Then, the drive unraveled on what seemed a senseless play call.

With Brady lined up up out wide to the left, Leonard Fournette took a direct snap from center. Fournette threw to Brady, who had been left uncovered when Tampa Bay used the same formation a few plays earlier.

But Brady slipped, Fournette’s pass was intercepted by cornerback Tyriq Woolen near Seattle’s 5-yard line, and Brady compounded things by tripping Woolen, drawing a penalty.

On Seattle’s first play following the turnover, Bucs defensive lineman Akiem Hicks was penalized for unnecessary roughness for making contact to quarterback Geno Smith’s head at the end of a 4-yard run. It resulted in a 19-yard gain to the Seahawks’ 35.

From there, with Seattle going up-tempo, Smith hit Noah Fant for 11 yards, DK Metcalf for 10, Kenneth Walker III for 6 and Metcalf for 16, advancing the ball to the Tampa Bay 22.

After Walker ran for 4 yards, the running back took a swing pass 4 yards to the 14, setting up third and 2. Walker again got the call, bursting 5 yards over left guard for a first down at the 9.

That was as close as the Seahawks would get.

Smith threw incomplete for Metcalf in the end zone, then was stripped of the ball by Devin White. Anthony Nelson recovered, giving the Bucs the ball back at their 13-yard line.

Better than nothing

The Seahawks finally got on the scoreboard on their first drive of the second half, though it wasn’t the seven points they were looking for.

Seattle came out throwing, as Geno Smith completed four passes for 51 yards and four first downs on the first four plays to quickly move the ball to the Bucs’ 23-yard line.

But after Smith scrambled for two yards, then threw incomplete, the Seahawks faced third and 9 from the 22. Smith threw incomplete for Metcalf on a back-shoulder throw to the front pylon down the left sideline. Jamel Dean was in coverage.

Metcalf was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct for pointing at an official after the play, pushing Seattle back 15 yards to the 37.

But the extra distance didn’t bother Jason Myers, whose kick from 55 yards away was good.

Airing it out

The Bucs found some success with their downfield passing game during a late second-quarter touchdown drive.

Tom Brady went 5-for-5 on the drive for 53 yards, including completions of 19 and 22 yards.

A 5-yard pass from Brady to Mike Evans to the Tampa Bay 26 picked up a first down and got the Bucs going. After a 2-yard Leonard Fournette run, Seahawks cornerback Mike Jackson was penalized for interfering with Scotty Miller, resulting in a 3-yard gain and another first down.

Fournette carried twice for 12 yards and a first down at the 44. Two more Fournette runs moved the ball 7 yards to the Seattle 49, bringing up third and 3.

Brady found Miller for 3 yards and a first down, the fifth straight third-down conversion for the Bucs.

Brady’s next two throws covered considerably more distance, as he hit Chris Godwin deep down the middle of the field for 19 yards and then Miller for 22 to the Seahawks 5.

Two Fournette runs got the ball into the end zone, including a 1-yard run over right guard for the touchdown.

The score extended the Bucs’ lead to 14-0 with 4:31 remaining in the first half.

Going to the ground

Rachaad White gave the Bucs a lift at the start of a touchdown drive that stretched from late in the first quarter into the early part of the second.

The rookie running back carried three times for 17 yards, including a 10-yard burst up the middle for a first down, as Tampa Bay moved to its 29. After Tom Brady threw to Scotty Miller for 5 yards, White gained 8 yards over right tackle for another first down at the 41.

Brady hooked up with Cade Otton for 2 yards, and Leonard Fournette picked up 13 on two carries, including a 7-yard run over right guard for a first down at the Seahawks 43 as the quarter came to a close.

A Mike Evans reception moved the ball to the Seattle 31. Brady was nearly intercepted on the next play with Cameron Brate wide open down the middle of the field, but linebacker Jordyn Brooks couldn’t hold on.

The Bucs took advantage two plays later, as Brady hit Julio Jones in stride across the middle on third and 10, and Jones took the ball to the end zone to complete a 31-yard scoring play.

Ryan Succop’s extra-point kick put the Bucs ahead 7-0 just over a minute into the second quarter.

Hurting themselves

The Seahawks got their first big play when Geno Smith hit DK Metcalf for 13 yards to the Bucs 43 at the start of their second possession. Bucs safety Mike Edwards slipped on the play.

But Kenneth Walker III was stopped twice for no gain and guard Damien Lewis was penalized for unsportsmanlike after the second run, bringing up third and 21.

Tight end Noah Fant took a short Smith pass 15 yards, but it wasn’t nearly enough and Seattle chose to punt.

Missed opportunity

The Bucs went straight to the air on their second possession, and Tom Brady hit Mike Evans deep downfield for a 29-yard gain to the Seahawks 30.

Leonard Fournette bulled his way for 10 yards on the next play, but the run was nullified by a holding penalty against left guard Nick Leverett, resulting in an 8-yard loss.

After Fournette rushed for 3 yards and took a Brady pass for 1, Brady threw incomplete to Chris Godwin on third and 14.

Ryan Succop came on to atttempt a 52-yard field goal but missed short and wide right.

One step forward ...

Seattle needed just one snap to move the chains on their opening possession, as Geno Smith connected with DK Metcalf for 10 yards to the Seahawks 35 on their first play from scrimmage.

Kenneth Walker III carried twice for 5 yards, bringing up third and 5. After a delay-of-game penalty pushed Seattle back 5 yards, communication problems caused the Seahawks to burn a timeout.

Smith was sacked by Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, resulting in a 17-yard loss and Seattle punt.

Opening misstep

The Bucs went-three-and-out on their opening drive.

Jaelon Darden slipped while returning the kickoff, giving Tampa Bay possession at its 16-yard line.

Rachaad White started at running back and was stopped for no gain on the opening play. After Chris Godwin dropped a pass over the middle, the Bucs faced third-and-10.

Tom Brady overthrew Julio Jones deep downfield, forcing a Jake Camarda punt

Feeling right at home

Home, sweet home.

Munich, site of the NFL’s first regular-season game in Germany, where the Bucs are the “home” team?

Where they seem to have decidedly more support than their opponent, the Seahawks?

Where the Hofbrauhaus serves as a team pub for their fans and held a Pub Event on Thursday?

No.

First place in the NFC South.

It took five weeks, but the Bucs have the division lead all to themselves for the first time since beating the Falcons in Week 5. In the weeks immediately following that 21-15 victory, Tampa Bay lost three games in a row, while Atlanta won two of three.

But a come-from-behind victory over the Rams last weekend, coupled with Falcons losses to the Chargers last Sunday and Panthers Thursday have put the Bucs back on top. Plus, they own the tiebreaker thanks to their head-to-head victory.

Given the sorry state of their division, the Bucs (4-5) need only keep pace with the below .500 Falcons (4-6), Saints (3-6) and Panthers (3-7) to make the playoffs.

But quarterback Tom Brady didn’t end his 40-day retirement to win a division championship.

Starting today, the Bucs have nine weeks, counting the bye week, to get their game in shape for the postseason, where they will have bigger goals and face considerably tougher competition.

The issues are apparent.

Play-calling has been suspect. Brady and his receivers have been out of sync. He has trouble trusting a still-developing interior line. Receivers are dropping balls. The running game has been non-existent.

A defense that has been solid for the most part has proven susceptible to the run. Injuries have been a problem in the secondary. On a couple of inopportune occasions, it failed to come up with late-game stops.

We saw signs of the team the Bucs can be late in last week’s win, when the defense shut out the Rams in the fourth quarter and Brady led a seven-play, 60-yard scoring drive in the final minute capped by his 1-yard touchdown toss to tight end Cade Otton in the closing seconds.

Can they build on that win to get back to being the team that won Super Bowl 55 at Raymond James Stadium in Brady’s first season in Tampa Bay and came within a field goal of advancing to the NFC title game a year ago?

Nothing would make them feel more at home.

Who’s in/who’s out

Game day scene

More ways to follow us

Follow our Bucs Instagram account at @TampaBayTimesBucs

Follow our Bucs writers on Twitter at @NFLStroud, @TBTimes_Bulls, and @Romano_TBTimes.

A little light reading

Here’s some of our content leading up to today’s game:

Bucs become part of Germany’s long love affair with the NFL

Tom Brady’s displeasure with the Bucs’ effort has been evident

Bucs may have a wimpy offense, but the defense hasn’t come to the rescue either

Tom Brady has found another country to conquer

Bucs’ Chris Godwin will need more time to return to his old form

Geno Smith towers above all as the NFL’s feel-good quarterback story

As Bucs prepare to play in Germany, biggest challenges could come before kickoff

Add disgruntlement to the laundry list of problems in Bucs’ run game

Bucs punter Jake Camarda named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week

If nothing else, 2022 Bucs have relieved Tom Brady’s two biggest headaches

Raise your hand if you remember when the Bucs used to throw downfield

Only Tom Brady could help the Bucs squeeze past the Rams

Leonard Fournette ‘extremely frustrated’ at being replaced, CBS reports

• • •

Sign up for the Bucs RedZone newsletter to get updates and analysis on the latest team and NFL news from Bucs beat writer Joey Knight.

Never miss out on the latest with the Bucs, Rays, Lightning, Florida college sports and more. Follow our Tampa Bay Times sports team on Twitter and Facebook.