The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were already without wideouts Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan entering Sunday's tilt against the San Francisco 49ers. Then, star rookie Emeka Egbuka, the team's leader in receiving yards, catches and touchdowns, left with a hamstring injury.
That left Baker Mayfield throwing to a receiver corps comprised of 32-year-old Sterling Shepard, seventh-round rookie Tez Johnson and 2024 undrafted free agent Kameron Johnson. The two young receivers each made massive plays, scoring their first NFL touchdowns in Tampa Bay's 30-19 win.
"(We're) the Johnson and Johnson brothers," Tez Johnson said of himself and Kameron, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. "You know what I mean? Our games are similar. Obviously, he's a little bit bigger, a little beefier than me. But that's my dawg. I love him."
Tez Johnson at 154 pounds is the lightest player in the league -- one reason he slipped to the seventh round in the 2025 NFL Draft. The lack of poundage didn't matter when he was streaking past defenders for a massive 45-yard touchdown on Sunday.
The game-deciding score came two plays after Mayfield miraculously scrambled out of a would-be sack on third-and-14 to pick up a first down. After the improbable run, Mayfield pump-faked the Niners' safety and found Johnson streaking deep. The rookie laid out for the pigskin, hauling it in before bounding for a perfect flip celebration.
The play brought a chorus of "MVP!" chants from the Raymond James Stadium crowd.
"I'm going to tell you a funny story," Johnson said. "When I score and I hear MVP, I'm thinking about me. I asked (Shepard), 'They're chanting MVP?' He was like, 'Yeah.' I said, 'but I ain't do nothing this year.' He said, 'They're talking about Baker, Tez!' I was like, 'Welp, that explains it.' But he is MVP. The one where he got the first down and he said he blacked out. But that's just Baker. Pump faking everybody. Oh my God. He's a dog."
The ability of Mayfield to continue to manufacture yards despite being down his top four targets and his top running back is incredible. Many QBs would wilt with that built-in excuse. Mayfield seems to thrive on it.
Kam Johnson hadn't had a catch in his career until Sunday. He led the Bucs with four grabs on four targets for 64 yards and a TD.
"Not a whole lot (of reps) with Kam," Mayfield said. "But like I said, B-Mac (receivers coach Bryan McClendon) gets those guys right and Kam studying the playbook, knowing exact depth, steps on route, things like that. Guys getting on the same page. That's high-level football."
It's a testament to the coaching staff and the quarterback that even with all the injuries, there weren't many miscommunications or awful plays. Instead, Mayfield continually ripped darts through the Niners' defense for first downs to propel the Bucs to victory.
"I truly and genuinely trust the guys that are in there," Mayfield said. "They're ready. We talked throughout the week, and those guys are on the same page. That's real. I trust these guys even though some of them might not have played a lot of ball. ... The defense played great. Special teams as well. That's complementary football."
That complementary football has the 5-1 Bucs the top team in the NFC and tied for the best record in the NFL. Mayfield's play has him clearly in the MVP race. Imagine what Tampa's offense would look like with healthy receivers and offensive line.
