TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Bucs Beat Themselves

ADVERTISEMENT

By Joe Henderson

Published: October 21, 2007

DETROIT - How in the world did they lose that one?

There are times in the National Football League where the other team is simply better and just beats you. And there are times where you leave the stadium in total wonderment about what just happened, because every bit of you knows you should have won the game.

Sunday was definitely the latter for the Bucs.

They lost 23-16 to Detroit, but the better way to put it might be this: They beat themselves.

A blocked punt in the first quarter led to three points for Detroit. A fumble by Earnest Graham set the Lions up for a touchdown. At that point, the Bucs had outgained the Lions 146 yards to 70, yet trailed by 10 points.

It would get more baffling.

Matt Bryant, so reliable, missed a 40-yard field goal attempt at the 2-minute warning of the first half. The yardage edge by then was 256-75, Bucs, but they were still losing.

They lost even though Jeff Garcia completed 18 pass attempts in succession. They lost even though Graham was solid all day carrying the ball. They lost even though they largely held their own against Detroit's vaunted passing game.

And as a final insult, they had first-and-goal at the 1 early in the fourth period after newcomer Michael Bennett ran 18 yards. A touchdown would have cut the deficit to 2 points.

They never got it.

Garcia fumbled the snap and Detroit recovered. The Lions went right down the field for the putaway touchdown.

Lost Opportunity
Losses like this tend to haunt you in the final weeks of the season in a tight race to make the playoffs. The Bucs have a tough
assignment next week with Jacksonville, where a loss would drop them to 4-4. It didn't have to be that way.

It had the chance to be such a happy homecoming for Garcia, who was all but run out of Detroit after one miserable, challenging season. He was greeted with a stadium-full of boos when he was introduced, but responded by being a beast under center for most of the day, finding his receiver on almost every pass attempt.

In the first half alone he was 19-of-20 for 197 yards and a touchdown.

And the Bucs were losing.

They had committed untimely penalties and had the two crushing turnovers. That's what made this game so utterly frustrating. The Bucs are one of the league's least-penalized teams, averaging just three a game. They had six in the first half alone.

They would control the ball, run and pass their way up the field at will, and then - kaplooey.

Penalties, turnovers.

Exasperating.

Time To Move On
If you're looking for positives amid the rubble, consider the play of Graham. He ran hard all day and led the team in receptions coming out of the backfield.

And Bennett showed some that speed that is supposed to be his trademark on the big carry just before Garcia's fatal fumble.

The Bucs were hurt by the run, though, which wasn't supposed to happen in this game. It was supposed to be a matchup of Detroit's receivers vs. the Bucs' new and improved secondary, but Lions offensive coordinator Mike Martz crossed them up at times by concentrating on the run.

They can likely expect to see more of that now.

You can say a game like this exposed some problems but all it really proved is that turnovers and penalties will kill you every time. The Bucs proved that Sunday, proved that in a game they could have - maybe should - have won.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT