The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have high aspirations, and those aspirations require big performances in the most crucial moments.
So far this year, we could make the argument the Buccaneers have faced four big matchups, and have displayed a serious case of split personalities in them.
Against the Detroit Lions in Week 2 and the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 4 Tampa Bay looked like a team destined to make a fifth postseason appearance in six years since head coach Todd Bowles joined the franchise in 2019, then as the defensive coordinator.
In Week 3 against the Denver Broncos, a game a team of their stature should have run away with. and in Week 5 against the Atlanta Falcons in a battle for NFC South Division supremacy, the team came out of those battles looking like a team in need of serious changes.
Against the Broncos is was a flat-out lack of energy and embarassment from a coaching perspective. Last night, in a 36-30 loss to the Falcons, Bowles' defense lacked discipline from the first drive to the final one.
“Yesterday, just looking at it, our eyes were roaming in different places," Bowles said about his defense the day after the disappointing loss. "We have to have more discipline in our zone drops, especially in the middle of the field and that’s kind of what we got lost at a few times with our eyes.”
Bowles' calling card as a defensive-minded coach has always been his ability to dial up pressure. On Thursday night, his unit got to Atlanta quarterback Kirk Cousins four times. But it still wasn't enough to stop him from throwing more than 500 yards and connecting on four touchdown passes including the final one in overtime that gave the Falcons the win and first place in the NFC South.
“We got pressures up front, first of all. They go hand and hand with covers. Sometimes we have to cover better and we’re getting back there, and sometimes we have to get back there and we’re covering better," said Bowles. "It goes hand and hand, but we made some progress last night. I thought we should’ve had a couple more, but the ball was coming out and there were missed opportunities all over the field.”
One member of the secondary who has seemed to progress this season is cornerback Zyon McCollum. On top of getting his first career interception this season, McCollum has taken significant strides in how he defends opposing receivers.
On that fateful overtime play, however, McCollum made a critical error in how he played the ball and receiver. Ultimately, it contributed to the Bucs' downfall.
“The aggressiveness was fine. He actually tipped the ball, but he went with his left hand," Bowles said of the play. "He could’ve made the tackle with his right hand. We don’t have a problem with his aggressiveness. He was trying to make a play, he was in position to make a play and it just went through his hand.”
Bowles' Buccaneers will get another chance to win a critical contest with a road trip to face the New Orleans Saints coming up next. Thankfully, they'll have time to learn from these mistakes, get healthier, and potentially come back stronger to get their first division win of the year.
While it's not wise to look too far ahead, a loss against the Saints could prove disastrous with a matchup against the Baltimore Ravens following it, and the risk of a three-game losing streak while starting 0-2 in the division not a too-far distant possibility if discipline and energy deficiencies on the defensive side of the ball aren't rectified soon.
