This Buccaneers team is so damn frustrating. This offense goes out to a 14 point lead and looks like smooth sailing. And then the second and third quarter happen, and the offense does everything wrong. I truly do not understand. Why does this team make it so difficult? And listen, you can crucify me all you want, but Bowles for most the game called a better game. the defense benefited from some bad Raiders play like last time, but that offense was mostly kept in check.
Baker Mayfield, I want to talk to you. Ok, come in close. STOP TAKING SACKS AND THROW THE BALL AWAY. You aren’t the Dark Knight, you don’t have to be the savior. Baker nearly cost this team the win with his sacks and turnovers. One of them wasn’t his fault, d-lineman just made a spectacular play. But the second one, there was absolutely no window. No QB should’ve attempted it. But, like he has always done, he took advantage when people started to count him out. It’s like he needs people to doubt him, even for good reason, before he goes beast mode. I would just appreciate him playing consistently the whole game.
This game though set the offense back twenty years. Terrible QB play on both sides. AOC was incredibly bad, as was Desmond Ridder, and Baker wasn’t that much better. Both teams were carried by the rushing attack, even if Baker did have 3 TDs. Sincere McCormick looked like one of the greatest RBs to ever tote the rock, but Tucker and Rachaad White were Superman in this game. Bucky left early with an injury, but the Bucs hardly missed him, which was definitely shocking to me. Masterful performance from White to pick up the sack.
But let’s give Bowles his flowers. Yes he was facing a terrible offense, but he still held it in check missing all of his LBs and Antoine Winfield leaving early. This is the kind of defensive performance that will have me believe in him again. The best thing he did was absolutely shut down Brock Bowers. Man couldn’t get anything going. McCollum was even on him a few times that I saw, so clearly the team took him seriously. Like I said, the Raiders did make a lot of mistakes on offense to help the defense. AOC threw some terrible passes that led to interceptions for a Bucs secondary with a drought of picks. Tykee Smith and Lavonte were the Supermen of the defense. Smith had the pick and Lavonte forced a fumble as well as having a sack. Also throw Zyon in there because he deserves it.
This game looked very ugly in the second and third quarters. Luckily, the Bucs offense recovered it’s footing and Bowles never let the Raiders do much of anything on the offense. I am worried about this team’s inability to play a full four quarters come playoff time, but right now, they’re on top of the NFC South after being 4-6. Coen may have been calling some bad plays for a lot of the game, but still called game with his play calling at the end. If this team plays to their potential the whole game, they will be dangerous.
