Bucs dig up a new way to lose with spectacularly poor performance in key area in loss to Bills
It was a very underwhelming day in a number of respects in Buffalo, but one area stood out in a bad way.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are right there as usual under Todd Bowles – in the midst of their annual mid-season swoon.
On Sunday in Orchard Park, New York, the Bucs fell to the Buffalo Bills 44-32. The loss marked their second straight loss after a 6-2 start put them at the top of the NFC standings. It’s the second of a third stretch of tough games, with a potential loss at the NFC West-leading Los Angeles Rams also staring them in the face next week.
It was a very familiar showing on the defensive side of the ball, with the Bucs’ defensive yielding big play after big play to Josh Allen and the Buffalo offense. However, a new culprit and substantial factor in the loss reared its ugly head on Sunday afternoon in western New York.
Tampa Bay’s kickoff coverage unit was abysmal against Buffalo
The Bucs’ kickoff team was flat-out embarrassed by the Bills on Sunday. They allowed three kickoff returns of 40 or more yards, and it put the defense behind the eight ball far too often. After Tampa Bay took a 3-0 first quarter lead, Buffalo’s Mecole Hardman took the kickoff 61 yards to Tampa Bay’s 36-yard line. Not surprisingly, the Bills eventually punched it in for a 7-3 lead.
In the second quarter, RB Ray Davis returned a kickoff 44 yards to near midfield with Tampa Bay up 17-14. The Bucs’ defense bailed out the special teams unit with an interception of Allen on fourth down by SirVocea Dennis.
But Davis bit them again with another 44-yard return in the third quarter with Tampa Bay up 26-21. The Bucs’ defense was able to bend and hold Buffalo to a field goal, but it was aided in part by Davis’ long return.
In short, Buffalo turned three very short fields into 10 points, and those points helped make the difference on Sunday afternoon.
Tampa Bay’s special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey has already been under fire this season after his unit had three kicks blocked in the season’s first four weeks. Now, Tampa Bay is struggling to kick it short of the end zone and keep the opposing team from sniffing the midfield logo.
The margins in this league are far too slim to give away cheap yards and points. If Tampa Bay can’t do better than this on kickoff coverage, then they might as well put it into the end zone and take the touchback at the 35-yard line. At least then they’ll give their up-and-down defense a bit more of a fighting chance.
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