Game story
In Week 12 of the 2023 NFL season on 2023-11-26, the Indianapolis Colts took care of business against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, pulling away with a 27–20 final that stayed a one-score game deep into the second half.
The highest-scoring period was Q4 with 17 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
G.Minshew II (Indianapolis Colts) paced the passing game, with +1.68 total EPA, and -12.5% completion percentage over expected.
On the individual side, M. Pittman (Indianapolis Colts) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +8.02 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (+14.5% win probability) landed in the fourth quarter when Tampa Bay Buccaneers changed the game: (14:06) (Shotgun) 6-B.Mayfield pass deep right to 14-C.Godwin pushed ob at IND 25 for 19 yards (39-D.Baker).
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 20 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 10 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 27 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 M. Pittman · Indianapolis Colts · Receiving · +8.02 total EPA · 13 snaps · +0.62 EPA/play
- 2 M. Alie-Cox · Indianapolis Colts · Receiving · +3.80 total EPA · 1 snaps · +3.80 EPA/play
- 3 C. Otton · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Receiving · +2.68 total EPA · 4 snaps · +0.67 EPA/play
- 4 J. Taylor · Indianapolis Colts · Rushing · +2.35 total EPA · 16 snaps · +0.15 EPA/play
- 5 W. Mallory · Indianapolis Colts · Receiving · +2.31 total EPA · 3 snaps · +0.77 EPA/play
- 6 R. White · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Rushing · +1.82 total EPA · 16 snaps · +0.11 EPA/play
- 7 P. Durham · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Receiving · +1.74 total EPA · 1 snaps · +1.74 EPA/play
- 8 G.Minshew II · Indianapolis Colts · Passing · +1.68 total EPA · 46 snaps · +0.04 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
M. Pittman — IND · Receiving
M. Pittman posted the highest total EPA (+8.02) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on Indianapolis Colts's efficiency. Across 13 counted snaps, they averaged +0.62 EPA per play.
The signature play (-5.33 EPA) came from Tampa Bay Buccaneers: (1:56) 6-B.Mayfield pass short left intended for 13-M.Evans INTERCEPTED by 48-R.Harrison at 50. 48-R.Harrison ran ob at TB 41 for 9 yards (22-C.Edmonds).
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Indianapolis Colts — J. Taylor
- Indianapolis Colts — G. Minshew
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers — M. Evans (B. Mayfield pass)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers — M. Evans (B. Mayfield pass)
- Indianapolis Colts — J. Taylor
Field goals
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers — C. McLaughlin
- Indianapolis Colts — M. Gay
- Indianapolis Colts — M. Gay
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers — C. McLaughlin
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The opening quarter: Indianapolis Colts won the period 10–3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers connected on a field goal from the IND 3 (Q1 52:31) — (7:31) 4-C.McLaughlin 21 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-97-Z.Triner, Holder-5-J.Camarda.; Indianapolis Colts connected on a field goal from the TB 28 (Q1 48:05) — (3:05) 7-M.Gay 46 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-46-L.Rhodes, Holder-8-R.Sanchez.; Indianapolis Colts found the end zone from the TB 4 (Q1 45:16) — (:16) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 28-J.Taylor left tackle for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Indianapolis Colts added 1 points from the TB 15 (Q1 45:11) — 7-M.Gay extra point is GOOD, Center-46-L.Rhodes, Holder-8-R.Sanchez..
The second quarter: The quarter finished even at 7–7. Indianapolis Colts found the end zone from the TB 2 (Q2 39:42) — (9:42) (Shotgun) 10-G.Minshew scrambles right end for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Indianapolis Colts added 1 points from the TB 15 (Q2 39:36) — 7-M.Gay extra point is GOOD, Center-46-L.Rhodes, Holder-8-R.Sanchez.; Tampa Bay Buccaneers found the end zone from the IND 1 (Q2 35:12); Tampa Bay Buccaneers added 1 points from the IND 15 (Q2 35:08) — 4-C.McLaughlin extra point is GOOD, Center-97-Z.Triner, Holder-5-J.Camarda..
The third quarter: Indianapolis Colts won the period 3–0. Indianapolis Colts connected on a field goal from the TB 18 (Q3 25:05) — (10:05) 7-M.Gay 36 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-46-L.Rhodes, Holder-8-R.Sanchez..
The fourth quarter: Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the period 10–7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers found the end zone from the IND 23 (Q4 12:55) — (12:55) (Shotgun) 6-B.Mayfield pass deep left to 13-M.Evans for 23 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Tampa Bay Buccaneers added 1 points from the IND 15 (Q4 12:50) — 4-C.McLaughlin extra point is GOOD, Center-97-Z.Triner, Holder-5-J.Camarda.; Indianapolis Colts found the end zone from the TB 1 (Q4 7:33) — (7:33) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 28-J.Taylor up the middle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.; Indianapolis Colts added 1 points from the TB 15 (Q4 7:30) — 7-M.Gay extra point is GOOD, Center-46-L.Rhodes, Holder-8-R.Sanchez.; Tampa Bay Buccaneers connected on a field goal from the IND 6 (Q4 4:13) — (4:13) 4-C.McLaughlin 24 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-97-Z.Triner, Holder-5-J.Camarda..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Q4 14:06) — (14:06) (Shotgun) 6-B.Mayfield pass deep right to 14-C.Godwin pushed ob at IND 25 for 19 yards (39-D.Baker).
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Q1 46:56) — (1:56) 6-B.Mayfield pass short left intended for 13-M.Evans INTERCEPTED by 48-R.Harrison at 50. 48-R.Harrison ran ob at TB 41 for 9 yards (22-C.Edmonds).
- Indianapolis Colts (Q4 9:11) — (9:11) 73-B.Freeland reported in as eligible. 10-G.Minshew pass short middle to 81-M.Alie-Cox to TB 19 for 30 yards (8-S.Dennis). TB-8-S.Dennis was injured during the play.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Q4 1:36) — (1:36) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 6-B.Mayfield sacked at TB 35 for -6 yards (52-S.Ebukam). FUMBLES (52-S.Ebukam) [52-S.Ebukam], RECOVERED by IND-54-D.Odeyingbo at TB 38.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Q1 54:57) — (9:57) 6-B.Mayfield pass deep left to 13-M.Evans to IND 1 for 19 yards (40-J.Jones).
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Q1 46:56) — (1:56) 6-B.Mayfield pass short left intended for 13-M.Evans INTERCEPTED by 48-R.Harrison at 50. 48-R.Harrison ran ob at TB 41 for 9 yards (22-C.Edmonds).
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Q4 14:06) — (14:06) (Shotgun) 6-B.Mayfield pass deep right to 14-C.Godwin pushed ob at IND 25 for 19 yards (39-D.Baker).
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Q4 1:36) — (1:36) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 6-B.Mayfield sacked at TB 35 for -6 yards (52-S.Ebukam). FUMBLES (52-S.Ebukam) [52-S.Ebukam], RECOVERED by IND-54-D.Odeyingbo at TB 38.
- Indianapolis Colts (Q2 36:38) — (6:38) (Shotgun) 10-G.Minshew pass short right intended for 1-J.Downs INTERCEPTED by 24-C.Davis at IND 19. 24-C.Davis to IND 16 for 3 yards (1-J.Downs).
Quarterback report card
G.Minshew II led all passers in efficiency for Indianapolis Colts, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- G.Minshew II (Indianapolis Colts) · 46 dropbacks · 52.2% completion · -12.5% CPOE · +0.04 EPA/play · +1.68 total EPA
- B.Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) · 39 dropbacks · 51.3% completion · -0.0% CPOE · -0.13 EPA/play · -5.10 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Indianapolis Colts |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | -0.088 | +0.005 |
| Offensive success rate | 43.6% | 47.7% |
| Pass EPA/play | -0.175 | +0.037 |
| Rush EPA/play | +0.066 | +0.096 |
| Defensive EPA/play | -0.005 | +0.088 |
| Defensive success rate | 52.3% | 56.4% |
By the numbers
Indianapolis Colts held the efficiency edge in offensive EPA per play (+0.01 vs -0.09), even if the scoreboard told a different story.
- Indianapolis Colts: 11 drives, +0.44 total EPA, 5 scoring drives
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 10 drives, -6.84 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- Indianapolis Colts leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- One-score margin — fantasy managers should double-check garbage-time stats before drawing conclusions.
- M. Pittman (Indianapolis Colts) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
- G.Minshew II (IND) finished below expected efficiency — volume may have masked accuracy issues.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers FG (+3) — Q1 52:31 · IND 3 · Score 3-0
(7:31) 4-C.McLaughlin 21 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-97-Z.Triner, Holder-5-J.Camarda. - Indianapolis Colts FG (+3) — Q1 48:05 · TB 28 · Score 3-3
(3:05) 7-M.Gay 46 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-46-L.Rhodes, Holder-8-R.Sanchez. - Indianapolis Colts TD (+6) — Q1 45:16 · TB 4 · Score 3-9
(:16) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 28-J.Taylor left tackle for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Indianapolis Colts XP (+1) — Q1 45:11 · TB 15 · Score 3-10
7-M.Gay extra point is GOOD, Center-46-L.Rhodes, Holder-8-R.Sanchez. - Indianapolis Colts TD (+6) — Q2 39:42 · TB 2 · Score 3-16
(9:42) (Shotgun) 10-G.Minshew scrambles right end for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Indianapolis Colts XP (+1) — Q2 39:36 · TB 15 · Score 3-17
7-M.Gay extra point is GOOD, Center-46-L.Rhodes, Holder-8-R.Sanchez. - Tampa Bay Buccaneers TD (+6) — Q2 35:12 · IND 1 · Score 9-17
(5:12) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 6-B.Mayfield pass short left to 13-M.Evans for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. Penalty on IND-93-E.Johnson, Defensive Offside, declined. - Tampa Bay Buccaneers XP (+1) — Q2 35:08 · IND 15 · Score 10-17
4-C.McLaughlin extra point is GOOD, Center-97-Z.Triner, Holder-5-J.Camarda. - Indianapolis Colts FG (+3) — Q3 25:05 · TB 18 · Score 10-20
(10:05) 7-M.Gay 36 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-46-L.Rhodes, Holder-8-R.Sanchez. - Tampa Bay Buccaneers TD (+6) — Q4 12:55 · IND 23 · Score 16-20
(12:55) (Shotgun) 6-B.Mayfield pass deep left to 13-M.Evans for 23 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Tampa Bay Buccaneers XP (+1) — Q4 12:50 · IND 15 · Score 17-20
4-C.McLaughlin extra point is GOOD, Center-97-Z.Triner, Holder-5-J.Camarda. - Indianapolis Colts TD (+6) — Q4 7:33 · TB 1 · Score 17-26
(7:33) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 28-J.Taylor up the middle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. - Indianapolis Colts XP (+1) — Q4 7:30 · TB 15 · Score 17-27
7-M.Gay extra point is GOOD, Center-46-L.Rhodes, Holder-8-R.Sanchez. - Tampa Bay Buccaneers FG (+3) — Q4 4:13 · IND 6 · Score 20-27
(4:13) 4-C.McLaughlin 24 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-97-Z.Triner, Holder-5-J.Camarda.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Indianapolis Colts?
The Indianapolis Colts beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-20 in Week 12, 2023 on 2023-11-26.
What was the final score of Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Indianapolis Colts?
The final score was Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20, Indianapolis Colts 27 (TB 20-27 IND) in Week 12, 2023 on 2023-11-26.
What was the score by quarter in Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Indianapolis Colts?
Q1: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3, Indianapolis Colts 10; Q2: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7, Indianapolis Colts 7; Q3: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0, Indianapolis Colts 3; Q4: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10, Indianapolis Colts 7; Final: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20, Indianapolis Colts 27.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Indianapolis Colts?
Indianapolis Colts touchdown — J. Taylor (Q1 45:16) Indianapolis Colts touchdown — G. Minshew (Q2 39:42) Tampa Bay Buccaneers touchdown — M. Evans (B. Mayfield pass) (Q2 35:12) Tampa Bay Buccaneers touchdown — M. Evans (B. Mayfield pass) (Q4 12:55) Indianapolis Colts touchdown — J. Taylor (Q4 7:33) Tampa Bay Buccaneers field goal — C. McLaughlin (Q1 52:31, 3 pts) Indianapolis Colts field goal — M. Gay (Q1 48:05, 3 pts) Indianapolis Colts field goal — M. Gay (Q3 25:05, 3 pts) Tampa Bay Buccaneers field goal — C. McLaughlin (Q4 4:13, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Indianapolis Colts?
G.Minshew II (Indianapolis Colts), 52.2% completion, -12.5% CPOE, +0.04 EPA per dropback, +1.68 total passing EPA. B. Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), 51.3% completion, -0.0% CPOE, -0.13 EPA per dropback, -5.10 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Indianapolis Colts?
M. Pittman (Indianapolis Colts) led the game in total EPA with +8.02 on receiving plays. across 13 snaps. The top single-play swing was (-5.33 EPA): (1:56) 6-B.Mayfield pass short left intended for 13-M.Evans INTERCEPTED by 48-R.Harrison at 50. 48-R.Harrison ran ob at TB 41 for 9 yards (22-C.Edmonds).. The biggest win-probability swing was +14.5%.
Was Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Indianapolis Colts a close game?
Yes — the margin was 7 points. Indianapolis Colts won 27-20 in a game that stayed a one-score game deep into the second half.
Season records after this game
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Entered 4-6 Now 4-7 L
Indianapolis Colts
Entered 5-5 Now 6-5 W
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