Bucs Nation
Dread it. Run from it. The Buccaneers’ mid-season slump arrives all the same.
For the fourth season in a row, the Buccaneers are staring down the very real possibility of a three-game losing slump in the middle of the year, as they dropped their second consecutive game Sunday and third in the last four as the Bills rammed through them, 44-32.
The defense was, quite simply, dreadful outside of causing two turnovers, allowing the most points a Todd Bowles defense ever has in seven seasons as defensive coordinator / head coach. This came despite the Bucs’ offense generating its best rushing yard output of the season and scoring 32 points — their second-highest total of the year.
With perpetual spectre Sean McVay and his red-hot Los Angeles Rams on the docket for Sunday Night Football next week, the Buccaneers need to right themselves fast if they hope to avoid that dreaded aforementioned losing streak.
Let’s do some shoutouts and move on.
Like a total solar eclipse, Sean Tucker going supernova happens only occasionally, but when it does, it’s glorious to watch.
The third-year man out of Syracuse decimated a league-worst Buffalo run defense all day long, compiling 19 carries for 106 yards and two touchdowns to go along with 2 catches for 34 yards and another score. He kept delivering explosives to keep pace with a superhuman performance with Josh Allen, and him playing well the last couple games should help the team feel more comfortable with bringing Bucky Irving along slowly as he finally nears his return.
Rachaad White got his yards too, tallying 51 yards on 10 carries as well as 2 catches for 11 yards. It will be interesting to see if a 3-man rotation persists or it goes back primarily to White and Irving.
Again, it was one of those weeks where I strongly considered just saying “no one” here, but Tykee Smith continued his superb season and deserves the recognition.
An equalizer against heavy personnel thanks to his tough, instinctual style of play, Smith’s versatility when it comes to defending the run and intermediate areas of the field is invaluable. He totaled 5 tackles and two passes defensed — one of which occurred on fourth down and led to a SirVocea Dennis interception. He’s having a Pro Bowl year and has made a strong argument for Tampa’s best defensive player thus far.
Not too much else to shout out when you allow the opposing QB to score 6 touchdowns, but rookie Jacob Parrish made multiple splash plays with his first career interception and a big tackle for loss. A facemask penalty at a pivotal moment late in the game dampered the overall performance, but Parrish keeps showing a lot more good than bad.
Special teams, once again, largely played terribly. The coordinator, Thomas McGaughey, should be fired Monday, frankly, with the Bills posting...
