*opinion editorial*
When forging an identity for the 2019 Bucs, what were we expecting? A complete 180 from previous years? This is the team with mostly the same players and general manager that have delivered the same inconsistent play. There are flashes of brilliance on both sides of the ball, but everything from the top on down shares the blame for the 32-31 loss.
Lack Of Adjustments From Coaching Staff
It’s on Todd Bowles and Bruce Arians to have a spy on Giants QB Daniel Jones. Clearly, no one on the coaching staff watched enough film on him about his mobility. It’s on Bowles not to play more zone and the Giants taking advantage of his overabundance of man coverage. The offense sputtering with stalled drives is on Byron Leftwich not making proper adjustments to get efficient first downs and eat more clock. Matt Gay’s kicking woes wouldn’t be so pronounced if Keith Armstrong made the proper adjustments after the first missed extra point and missed field goals.
Long Term Season Consequences
What are the expectations of a team that constantly falls short? Even the most naïve can’t expect a quick turnaround. When the team gets more time under the system, things should turnaround. Losing two conference games will hurt at the end of the season if the team is even contending for a playoff spot at that point. Nobody wants to say “rebuilding,” but what else is there to say when players suspected of struggling, remain on the team?
Bucs Are Known For This
Despite the pressure Bowles put on Jones with a few fumbles, the rookie was still picking apart the suspect secondary. This is coming from a 28-10 deficit at the half. Should the team hold the heads low after this? Some will remember they made Jones look like Peyton Manning on Monday Night Football all those years ago. The good teams have short memories.
Some Hope to Take Away
Let’s see how the Bucs bounce back. 1-2 is still better than 0-3. The Bucs showed the full range of potential yesterday from scoring powerhouse to the sputtering letdown. The team is almost there. You can see flashes of hope you didn’t really see from Mike Smith’s units. Single out who you want, but this is a team loss.