The Tampa Bay Buccaneers played their worst half of football in a while, allowing the Los Angeles Rams to build a 28-0 lead in the first half. They eventually embarrassed the Buccaneers 34-7 on Sunday Night Football.
Every single drive ended in points for the Rams in the first half as they built a 28-7 halftime lead. The Buccaneers’ defense seems to be getting worse by the week. To be the best, you have to beat the best, and the Bucs have come up short this season against the best in the NFL. Their only signature wins have come against Seattle and San Francisco, while they have lost to Detroit, Philadelphia, Buffalo, and New England.
There wasn’t one defensive player from the game Sunday Night that had a decent game. That is a sad referendum on the Buccaneers’ defense. It’s also beginning to look like the Bucs paying cornerback Zyon McCollum was money wasted. McCollum was shredded over and over Sunday night trying to cover Rams Pro Bowl receiver Davante Adams. Adams scored twice while racking up 62 yards. When you are making superstar money, you can’t play like a practice squad player, which is the level of play the Bucs got from McCollum.
It’s evident that, despite all the money they have paid to retain key pieces of the defense, they still don’t have a shutdown corner. The defensive performances in the last three games against New England, Buffalo, and the Rams have been among the worst in the league. In the last three games, the Buccaneers have given up over 1300 yards and 106 points. Those aren’t exactly numbers that are going to inspire confidence that they can go on a playoff run.
If the Bucs played in any other division but the NFC South, their playoff hopes would be sinking quicker than the Titanic. But they play in the weak NFC South and will no doubt win the division, but will be quickly vanquished in the playoffs.
To add insult to injury, the face of the franchise, quarterback Baker Mayfield, suffered a joint sprain in his left shoulder. Mayfield was hurt earlier in the half but stayed in the game. Mayfield seemed to wince in pain after delivering a 14-yard touchdown pass to Tez Johnson. With time running out in the first and the Bucs facing a fourth and 16 situation, Todd Bowles thought it would be a good idea to have Mayfield throw a Hail Mary instead of punting or just running out the clock. As soon as he released the ball, Mayfield fell to the ground in extreme pain.
Mayfield has led the Buccaneers to two NFC South titles, and it would be a massive blow to their playoff chances if he were to miss extensive time. After an MRI on Monday, it was determined that Mayfield has an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder, but no fracture or structural damage. If Mayfield cannot play this Sunday against Arizona, Teddy Bridgewater would get the start, Bowles said.
Chris Godwin returned Sunday Night but was a non-factor, making two catches for nine yards, and was on a snap count. Bowles did say he believes Mike Evans, Bucky Irving, and Jalen McMillian will play sometime this season, but he doesn’t know when. But it won’t matter who the Buccaneers get back if Mayfield cannot play due to injury.
The Buccaneers are 6-5 and neck and neck with Carolina for first place in the division. Jason Licht and the entire organization have to stop tolerating mediocrity. Todd Bowles is the James Franklin of the NFL—a decent coach who will win division titles but will have difficulty winning it all and quickly be displaced in the playoffs
The fans and the city of Tampa deserve better.