SEATTLE — A charter bus of 50 made the trek from Tumwater to Lumen Field. The Otton family got a front row seat to see their own son return to the place he once called home for four years.
And Cade Otton had his fingerprints all over another Tampa Bay Buccaneers fourth quarter comeback.
The Tumwater High School alum and former University of Washington Husky dazzled in his first game in Seattle since leaving UW and set a new season-high in yards with 84 and helped the Bucs triumph over the Seattle Seahawks 38-35 on Sunday afternoon in front of 65,000-plus.
Now at 4-1 on the season and still holding serve at the top of the NFC South, Tampa has mastered the fourth quarter rallies. Three of the comebacks have been away from sunny Florida. After a Lavonte David interception with under a minute left, Chase McLaughlin knocked in a 39-yard field goal as time expired.
The Bucs are the first team in NFL history to win four of their first five games where all wins are decided by three points or fewer.
“We knew we had that character and the poise to do that,” Otton said postgame in the locker room. “To prove it again is awesome.”
The five targets was also a season-best for Otton, who was involved in the gameplan early with a couple first down catches on Tampa’s opening scoring drive. His biggest catch of the game came on a 3rd-and-14 in the second quarter.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield was facing pressure and dumped off a TE screen to Otton, who broke a couple tackles and rumbled his way for a 17-yard gain that set up another TD. He even drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Seahawks EDGE Leonard Williams, then a play later, the Bucs found the end zone again.
“I feel like each week I’ve had an impact,” Otton said. “Whenever the ball is going to come to me, I want to be ready. I want to help that team win.”
On Baker: “He is easy to get along with and he’s a great player, obviously.”
