The Bucs will be having a Victory Monday once again this season, following the team’s epic, 38-35 victory over the Seahawks in Seattle on Sunday. The win moves the Buccaneers to 4-1 on the year and made for quite a happy locker room where head coach Todd Bowles addressed his team before they boarded the team plane back to Tampa.
“Hey guys, that was a helluva job and a helluva fight to come all the way out here and come out with a win,” Bowles said. “That was a helluva win. We’ve got one game ball – it wasn’t quite Michael Jordan’s flu game, but it’s Chase McLaughlin’s flu game.”
McLaughlin, the team’s record-setting kicker who kicked a 65-yard field goal last week, which set a new franchise mark for the longest field goal in Tampa Bay history, was a late addition to the team’s injury report with an illness on Saturday. McLaughlin traveled with the team and wound up playing in Seattle, making both field goals and all of his extra points on Sunday – none bigger than the 39-yard game-winner as time expired.
Bucs K Chase McLaughlin – Photo by: USA Today
Bowles, who is an avid NBA fan, was referring to Jordan’s legendary “Flu Game” performance in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals. Jordan scored 38 points in 44 minutes, including the game-winning three-pointer to help the Chicago Bulls defeat the Utah Jazz.
After Bowles presented McLaughlin with the game ball, he gave his team an important message.
“Before he gives you a speech, I will see you guys on Wednesday,” Bowles said.
That means the players do not need to report to One Buccaneer Place on Monday unless they need medical treatment. The victorious Bucs would truly have a Victory Monday – as in having the day off, in addition to their regular day off on Tuesday.
Bucs K Chase McLaughlin – Photo by: USA Today
Chase McLaughlin Addresses His Bucs Teammates
After kicker Chase McLaughlin received the game ball from head coach Todd Bowles he addressed his enthusiast teammates. Stealing a page from Bowles, he asked everyone to say “Yeah!” in unison.
“Hey, give me a ‘yeah!’ on three,” McLaughlin said. “One, two, three – YEAH!”
