Saturday, 4 a.m.
5 Thoughts
- Are there any spots on the football field the Bucs' secondary DOES have covered? Maybe a two-square-yard patch in the left corner?
2. Those calling for Baker Mayfield's head need to review the play of Teddy Bridgewater.
3. Those calling for Todd Bowles' head need to remind themselves what happens in a rebuild and how long it can last. A new coach may rip up parts of the team you don't wnat rippeed up.
4. When, exactly, did Baker Mayfield turn into Mike Glennon?
5. Don't be disappointed. Another five or six penalties by the Falcons, and the Bucs could have won.
5 Comments
(From Todd Bowles' day-after press conference)
(On OLB Haason Reddick’s strip sack where he came out of the pile with the ball but was not credited with gaining possession): “I tried to get it reviewed. They didn’t review it. They said it was a tie and then they gave it to the offense. I saw Haason come out with the ball. So, it was a scrum in there and maybe they made [the call] prematurely. I didn’t see it. On tape, I really couldn’t tell, but I saw him come up with the ball, but they said it was a tie.”
(On if he’s frustrated with the team’s ‘lack of killer instinct’)“[It is] very frustrating thus far. You can do it all right in practice all week. You can do it in the game right four out of five times and on the fifth time, we don’t play it right, and that’s frustrating. That’s very frustrating as a coach – very frustrating as a player, I’m sure – but we’re all in this together. So, it starts with me. I’ve got to do a better job. They’ve got to do a better job, and we have to somehow scratch and claw and find a way to make this thing work.”:
(On whether a team can ‘snap into’ having a killer instinct over the final three games, with Carolina twice):“I don’t think you can snap into it. I think you have to grind it out. You‘ve just got to take it one day at a time, one play at a time, and you’ve got to grind them out. You’re not going to snap into being good or snap into being worse. You’ve got to take it play by play and you’ve just got to do the little things right, then the big things will come.”:
On the balance of understanding the opportunity ahead with the locker room’s current mental state): “It’s all about the frustration and dealing with adversity. We’ve got to learn how to deal with adversity. We’ve done that the past three years. We’ve done it some early this year. We’ve dealt with injuries and those type of things. It’s all about how you channel your vision when you come back to work next week and how you deal with adversity moving forward. So, you can sit there and let it linger and you can mope in it or you can go ahead and do something about it and you can go ahead and still try to win this thing. So, that’s the attitude we’re going to have going into the week.”
(On QB Baker Mayfield saying the loss to the Atlanta Falcons falls on his shoulders and the interception will haunt him): “Well, he’s taking responsibility as one of our leaders. Obviously, you don’t want the turnover, but he can look himself in the mirror and be honest with himself and, you know, coaches and players have to do that alike. That’s what makes him who he is. So, if everybody did that, we would figure out our problems [really] quick. So, I think it’s an eye-opener for a lot of guys and a lot of coaches on this team. So, if we can come back Monday and look in the mirror and everybody can work on the little things, I think that’ll carry us the rest of the way. What he said was very honest and very true.”
Game Balls
Offense: At times, it felt like Mike Evans was playing by himself.
Defense: Antonio Winfield Jr. hasn't been an impact player often enough, but he was in on 13 tackles Thursday night. Way too many for a safety, of course.
Special teams: Chase McLaughlin scored again from a half-a-field away.
Grades
Offense: Baker's stats look better than Baker did. If he's hurt, it's an indictment of the quarterback depth (there isn't any). Grade: C-.
Running backs: Bucky Irving had 60 yards, but the team had just 88. Grade: D.
Receiver: Evans was a monster. Grade: B.
Offensive line: Five sacks, 88 yards rushing. Grade: F.
Defensive line: One sack, and Bijan Robinson was good for six everything he smelled the ball. Grade: F.
Linebackers: There were linebackers? Grade: D.
Secondary: Backup quarterbacks give the Bucs fits. Of course, so do starters. Grade: F.
Special teams: McLaughlin remains a weapon, and Riley Dixon nailed two inside the 20.
Power Rankings
- L.A. Rams
2. New England
3. Denver
4. Green Bay
5. Buffalo
Bottom 5
32. N.Y. Giants
31. Las Vegas
30. Tennessee
29. Cleveland
28. Tampa Bay
Murderer's Row
(Bad quarterbacks who baffled Bucs)
- Kirk Cousins
2. Tyrod Taylor
3. Tyler Shough
4. Tyrod Taylor
5. C.J. Stroud
On the Way Out
(How Fired Bucs' coaches finished)
- Raheem Morris Lost last 10
2. Jon Gruden Lost last four, missed playoffs
3. Tony Dungy Lost four playoffs short of SB
4. Greg Schiano Lost four of final five
5. Lovie Smith Lost five of final six
6. Dirk Koetter Last final four, eight of final 10
Rookie Wide Receivers
- Emeka Egbuka 58 870 6
2. Tetairoa McMillian 57 826 6
3. Elic Ayomanor 30 353 3
4. Luther Burden 30 395 1
5. Travis Hunter 28 298 1