The NFL’s onside kick rule has been clarified after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had hoped to attempt a second attempt to complete an epic comeback over the Baltimore Ravens.

The Bucs completed the second successful onside kick of the season, joining the Dallas Cowboys, recovering the ball with less than four minutes on the clock and trailing 41-24. Tampa Bay went on to score seven more points to close the gap to ten points, and they kept star wide receiver Chris Godwin on the field.

The Buccaneers had hoped to score another touchdown, or field goal, and then attempt a second onside kick to try and recover the ball and go for another score. However, some NFL fans were left confused over whether Tampa Bay could even attempt a second onside kick in a game.

However, Fox Sports confirmed that one of the rule proposals had a limit of two onside kick attempts, but it didn’t pass. Therefore, in the fourth quarter for a trailing team, they can attempt any number of onside kicks.

In a bitter blow to the Bucs, though, Godwin was injured in the fourth quarter catching a pass over the middle, and his leg was trapped underneath him by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith. He was carted off and he’ll likely spend a considerable amount of time out of action injured. Another star receiver, Mike Evans, also sustained a hamstring injury for the Buccaneers.

Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles confirmed that Godwin has likely suffered a dislocated ankle, and defended his decision to keep his player on the field with his team down by 17 points. “We’re just trying to win the ballgame,” Bowles said. “We’re still down 10, trying to get extra points, kick another onside kick. It just happened.

“We’ve got our guys, we’re playing everybody we’ve got. It’s unfortunate he got hurt. We feel bad about that. But he’s a football player, and he wanted to be in the game just like Baker [Mayfield] and everybody else wanted to be in the game.”

Chris Godwin was injured late in the fourth quarter

Chris Godwin was injured late in the fourth quarter ( 

Image:

Getty)

“I do protect my players all the time,” Bowles added. “It has nothing to do with why we left him in the ballgame. We still had a shot to score some points and win the ballgame. It happens. It happens in football.”

In the end, the Bucs lost by ten points as the Ravens continued their 2024 resurgence after losing their opening two games. Lamar Jackson orchestrated the Ravens to a fifth-straight win, in a clear message of their Super Bowl ambitions.

“I’m chasing something right now, so each and every game is going to be the same thing for me,” Jackson said. “I’m going to be the same person. Every game, I’m trying to win.”