By John Romano
Tampa Bay Occasions
The sport was thrilling. Additionally exasperating.
It was wildly entertaining. Additionally infuriating.
It was back-and-forth, sloppy and dramatic, however the true which means of the Bucs’ 26-23 additional time win towards the Panthers Sunday in Charlotte gained’t be identified till the common season reaches its conclusion.
Both Anthony Nelson simply saved the season, or that may have been the start of the top for coach Todd Bowles.
These are wildly totally different outcomes, however this sport felt that significant.
If the Bucs (6-6) take this reward of a victory and full one other late-season push for the playoffs and a doable division title, this would be the sport that sticks within the reminiscence. It was the day the Bucs overcame a myriad of errors, took the lead within the fourth quarter, misplaced it, tied it on the finish of regulation, blew an opportunity in additional time, allowed the Panthers to get in field-goal vary, after which acquired a miracle pressured fumble, courtesy of Nelson.
But when the Bucs stumble within the subsequent 5 weeks — or somebody saves the Falcons with the Heimlich maneuver — this is able to be Exhibit A within the case towards the pinnacle coach. The Bucs already had misplaced thrice on a sport’s ultimate play, however at the least these had been towards first rate opponents. This was an embarrassing efficiency towards a soon-to-be 3-9 crew with first place within the NFC South hanging within the stability. That speaks of preparation, or the dearth thereof.
There have been three false-start penalties. Two turnovers. Haphazard blitzes. Low snaps. Forty-six throws by Carolina quarterback Bryce Younger and just one listed go protection by the Bucs secondary. A sequence of shanked punts, and a kickoff that didn’t even attain the touchdown zone and gave Carolina the ball on the 40 within the ultimate minutes.
“We talked about it at halftime: we had been taking pictures ourselves within the foot. We had been getting false begins, we had been getting penalties, we had been backing ourselves up,” Bowles stated after the sport. “Second half, we got here out with a psychological toughness and we performed collectively and we performed as a crew and we pulled it out.”
All true. Nevertheless it leaves out some essential particulars.
Equivalent to Carolina kicker and UF alum Eddy Pineiro lacking two field-goal makes an attempt. This man had not missed two subject objectives the complete season. His profession share of 89.7 coming into the sport was one of the best in NFL historical past. When he was large left on a 38-yarder within the second quarter, it was his first miss of lower than 40 yards in additional than two years.
Additionally, there was a Bucky Irving fumble that bounced proper again into his palms.
And Baker Mayfield taking a essential sack in additional time that took the Bucs out of field-goal vary.
“It was sloppy at first, throughout. Offensively, too many penalties, psychological errors, issues like that,” Mayfield stated. “However to discover a method to push it into additional time and get the win is big-time for us.”
It’s true this can be a younger crew. And the Bucs have had an unlucky sequence of accidents at receiver and defensive again.
The protection is skinny and in need of difference-makers. The offense has been treading water since Chris Godwin was misplaced for the season in late October.
However there’s a distinction between getting overwhelmed and giving a sport away. The Bucs did every little thing they might to gift-wrap this sport to a last-place crew, and the Panthers insisted on handing it proper again.
And, sure, good groups have inexplicable losses each week on this league. It occurs, and it shouldn’t trigger anybody to overreact. The issue is the Bucs have already had a number of of these. They misplaced an additional time sport to Atlanta that was inexcusable. They misplaced on the ultimate play at residence towards a 49ers crew that’s 5-7. They wasted a last-minute comeback towards the Chiefs and misplaced in additional time.
In all, the Bucs had been 1-4 in video games determined by seven factors or much less earlier than Sunday. Had they misplaced to Carolina — had Nelson not rescued them by ripping the ball out of Chuba Hubbard’s palms on the Bucs’ 30 in additional time — it might have opened the floodgates for critics to query Bowles’ game-day administration.
As an alternative, the Bucs have a second life.
They’re tied with Atlanta atop the NFC South and have a neater schedule the ultimate 5 weeks. Technically, the Falcons have a one-game benefit due to the tiebreaker, however the NFL’s personal playoff image says Tampa Bay’s probabilities on the postseason (59%) are higher than Atlanta’s (56%).
If the Bucs care for enterprise and win a fourth consecutive South title, the Panthers sport will merely be a humbling shut name that might have been a lot worse.
But when issues prove poorly within the coming weeks, there could possibly be a a lot totally different response within the season’s aftermath.
And the Panthers sport can be remembered as a foul omen.
Up subsequent …
Buccaneers vs. Raiders
When: Sunday, 1 p.m., Raymond James Stadium
TV: CBS
