Tuesday, 4 a.m.
5 Thoughts
- Here’s a positive thought. Atlanta, with a rookie quarterback, won’t go 2-0 down the stretch.
2. Here’s a negative thought. The Bucs still won’t won the division, because they won’t win out, either. Although they should.
3. So, the game plan was to play the fourth quarter without either Mike Evans (one catch) or Bucky Irving (two carries). Yeah, that’ll get the offense going.
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4. One more time: The average Bucs’ fan wants his team to win the division, AND fire Todd Bowles. Won’t happen. The Glazers grade heavily on December, but no one is going to fire a playoff coach this year.
5. How about Sterling Shepard and Rachaad White doing one of those hands-free commercials.
5 Comments
(From Todd Bowles’ day-after press conference)
(On calling a timeout with about one minute remaining in the first half against the Cowboys): “Yeah, we needed it. Offensively, we needed it.”
On why RB Bucky Irving wasn’t on the field during the two-minute drill at the end of Sunday night’s game): “Well, like you said, Rachaad [White] is our two-minute guy, and the clock was going so we went with him. We had to protect some, and the game turned out how it turned out. I don’t think that had anything to do with the outcome.”
(On if the breakdowns in pass coverage in the middle of the field are a result of LB SirVocea Dennis being on Injured Reserve): “No, it had nothing to do with coverage. It had everything to do with missing tackles. We can’t miss tackles.”
(On if it will be difficult to get the team back on track after losing control of the NFC South division race): “It won’t be difficult. We’ve got to win a ballgame. If we don’t win a ballgame, we don’t give ourselves a chance. We have to focus on us like we’ve been doing, we have to correct the mistakes, and we have to go out and win Sunday and we’ve got to win the next week and then we’ll see what happens after that.”
(On why the defense was not able to contain Dallas WR CeeDee Lamb): “I don’t think we played very good fundamentally and technique-sound football on the outside. I thought we tackled him as far as the screens go, but with the passes down field and the holding penalties – we can’t have those.”
Game Balls
Offense: Rookie receiver Jalen McMillan caught another touchdown pass.
Defense: Christian Izien had 13 tackles, but he should have made more plays.
Special teams: No winner.
Grades
Quarterback: Baker Mayfield threw a pick and was saved twice on fumbles. Not a great night. Grade: C.
Running back: Rachaad White coughed it up at the most important time, Grade: F.
Wide receivers: Great receivers make catches anyway. Grade: D.
Offensive line: Mayfield was hit far too often. Grade: D+.
Defensive line: One sack. Where was the genius blitzer? Grade: D.
Linebacker: Lavonte David was solid, but it’s unfair to ask him to cover a tight end downfield. Grade: C-.
Secondary: Cooper Rush? Grade: F-.
Power Rankings
- Detroit.
2. Buffalo.
3. Kansas City.
4. Philadelphia.
5. Pittsburgh.
—
14. Tampa Bay.
Bottom 5
32. N.Y. Giants.
31. Las Vegas.
30. Cleveland.
29.Tennessee.
28. Jacksonville.
Yards to go
Player Plateau Yards Needed
Baker Mayfield 4,000 yards 80
Mike Evans 1,000 yards 182
Bucky Irving 1,000 yards 80
Lavonte David 150 tackles 38
Calijah Kancey 10 sacks 3.5
NFL Stats
Passing Yards Baker Mayfield 4
Rushing Yards Bucky Irving 17
Receiving Yards Mike Evans 43
Tackles Lavonte David 24
Sacks Calijah Kancey 38