Monday, 4 a.m.
There were possibilities in the air. For the moment, the Tampa Bay Bucs had a pulse.
And then Baker Mayfield fumbled.
In a play that goes a long way toward explaining why the Bucs are a 4-7 football team. As bada as the Bucs had played, they Bucs trailed by seven points with 90 seconds to go. They had the ball at the Indianapolis 41 with a first down. They had a first down on the Colts’ 25 yard line.
And, as you may have heard, Mayfield fumbled.
Such is the story of the Bucs, a team that isn’t dangerous enough to win. On Sunday, the Bucs finally ran the ball a bit, but the game — like most of them — was just too big. The Bucs couldn’t stop the Colts when it mattered the most.
For most of the afternoon, Indy had threatened to run off and hid. They led 17-3 in the second period, and the Bucs had no answer for receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (107 yards) or Jonathan Taylor (91 yards).
Mayfield threw for 199 yards and two touchdowns (both to Mike Evans), but had a fumble and an interception. One pleasant surprise was a 100-yard rushing day by Rachaad White.
The Bucs now trail both New Orleans and Atlanta in the NFC South.
Tampa Bay is home against Carolina on Sunday at 1 p.m.