In their Week 4 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers appeared poised for a second-half comeback. After trailing 24-6 at halftime, the Buccaneers scored a touchdown early in the third quarter to make it 24-13 and then forced an Eagles punt, seizing momentum.
However, the rally was abruptly halted by a controversial turnover. On Tampa Bay’s own 22-yard line, running back Bucky Irving was ruled to have fumbled the ball. The Eagles recovered with excellent field position and subsequently scored a touchdown, extending their lead to 31-13.
The play became a significant point of contention after alternate camera angles emerged, appearing to show that Irving’s shin was down before the ball came loose. The call, which stood as a fumble, is being viewed as a decisive moment that reversed the game’s momentum at a critical juncture.
The disputed turnover also marred a historic performance from Irving, who became the first player in Buccaneers history to achieve over 50 rushing yards and 100 receiving yards in a single game. The call proved especially costly given Tampa Bay’s defensive efforts in the second half, where they held the Eagles to zero passing yards, suggesting a comeback was within reach.
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