November 18, 2025 • 25 mins
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers left Week 11 with a mix of excitement and frustration after falling in a high-scoring battle against the Buffalo Bills. Tampa Bay’s offense finally found a ground identity behind Sean Tucker, who delivered his best performance of the season with over 100 rushing yards and three total touchdowns. Baker Mayfield added another rushing score while the offensive line opened lanes that kept the Bucs in the game until the fourth quarter. Despite the loss, this was one of the most complete offensive outings of the year, and it gives Tampa Bay a clear direction heading into the final stretch of the season. Defensively, the Buccaneers continued their trend of creating takeaways, with rookies Jacob Parrish and SirVocea Dennis both grabbing interceptions, and Tykee Smith adding more plays on the ball. However, explosive plays allowed in the passing game ultimately cost Tampa Bay the chance to pull off the upset. With Sunday Night Football against the Los Angeles Rams up next, the Bucs must tighten coverage, limit big plays and keep feeding Sean Tucker if they want to get back in the win column. This matchup could determine whether the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stay in the NFC playoff race.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
On today's show, the Bucks drop another game, this time
to the Bills by a score of forty four to
thirty two. How did they lose this game? The defense
Todd Bowles. I'll break it all down next on this
edition of the Bucks Report. Let's get out and then
(00:31):
then then then well, hello and welcome into this edition
(00:59):
of the Bucks Report, part of the Bucks Report podcast network.
I am so glad you decided to join me today.
As always, this podcast is free and available on all
the major platforms. My name is Dan Holmy. You can
find me on Twitter. It's at Dan Caps two an eight.
You can find the show on Twitter, It's at bucks Mintecast.
(01:20):
And the best way that you can help grow this
show is to subscribe to the Bucks Report on YouTube,
like the videos and comment anything down below. So, in
this edition of the Bucks Report, another loss, should I
be reaching for the panic button? It seems like we're
entering into that category where it seemed like the Buccaneers
(01:42):
were clearcut favors, favorites to win the NFC South. But
now they drop two really big games to the Pats,
to the Bills, and it doesn't get any easier as
they take on the Rams next they're in first place. Now,
when you take look at this game, it's easy to say, well,
(02:02):
Baker Mayfield sucks or that sucks. Let's be clear here.
The Buccaneers put up thirty two points. And one of
the things I talked about in last week's podcast is
the mobility of Baker Mayfield. And I'm gonna go ahead
and say it's still pretty good. And I think he's
playing through a bit of pain. There maybe a lot
(02:24):
of pain, and that is nothing new for him. The
thing that is glaringly apparent in this game is the defense.
Giving up forty four points is unacceptable in any other game,
a thirty two should have won it, and then some
for the Bucks. And I think ultimately where the frustration
(02:48):
seeps in for Baker Mayfield. The ultimate competitor, the player,
the quarterback that is willing to do whatever it takes
to win a game. Guy who runs in for a
touchdown and just so hyped he takes the football and
flips it into the stands. That is the kind of
(03:08):
passion that I love about Baker Mayfield. And I think
what frustrates him There's a couple things. It's the defense.
He knows it's a bit porous, right, if you're giving
up forty four points, it's not totally dialed in, and
the lack of weapons that he has at his disposal.
But to be clear here, John Tucker mo Man torching
(03:30):
it out there. I'll talk about him a little bit
later and where he stands within this organization. Sterling Shepherd
for example, TEDZ Johnson that it's not the way that
this season was sketched out right that you know, it
was supposed to be Evans and Godwin and it was
supposed to be Jalen McMillan and Mecha Abuka. You know
Abuka's in there as well, but you know, missing Godwin,
(03:54):
Evans and McMillan is huge. But all of those things,
even if you had all of those often of weapons,
Bucky Irving in that mix as well, it's not going
to win you games if you're giving up forty four points.
Just unacceptable. So let's just talk about the box score.
You know, it's all about x's and o's and numbers
(04:14):
as far as I'm concerned. Baker on the game sixteen
for twenty eight one hundred and seventy three yards, one touchdown,
one interception, But the main event to be clear here,
Sean Tucker is RB one, And you know why did
it take so long to come to this conclusion? Right
(04:35):
I know that when Bucky comes back, it should be
Bucky one, and it should be Sean Tucker number two.
But right now, with Bucky out, make no mistake about it,
Sean or Rashad White is good, but Sean Tucker is
the man. Rushing nineteen carries one hundred and six yards
five point six average, two touchdowns. And then you take
(04:57):
a look at Sean Tucker receive two receptions thirty four
yards for one touchdown, three touchdowns in one game. If
that guy is not RB one in your mind, you
might want to get your head checked out. He was
dialed in. Conversely, Rashad White ten carries fifty one yards,
(05:19):
zero touchdowns. So those are the players that stand out.
Baker Mayfield, it's Sean Tucker. It is the opportunities. You
know that the Bucks, you know, perish interception in this game.
In Servasier Dennis that there is a lot of good
to talk about, and the fact that the Bucks even
(05:41):
had the lead in the third if memory serves that
there was a clear cut path to victory, but they
let it go. And here we are talking about another
loss and guess what, Folks that Carolina Panthers, No, this
is not a fever dream are then down their throat. Yes,
(06:03):
Dave Canalis is the guy pushing the buttons, pulling the strings. Yeah,
that Dave Canalis who took that team from the Ashes
and is challenging the Buccaneers. There is a possibility that
if the Bucks lose in this next game, which is
I hate to see it, a scenario that could potentially
be that Carolina could supplant the Buccaneers is going to
(06:28):
come to that. You know, I don't know if that's
the case, but it definitely does have me worried. I'm
getting all worked up here. I haven't even dove into
the show. Let's get into it. There is much to
get into here. So the opening biggest takeaway the Bucks
finally ran the ball like a team that showed up
ready to punch somebody in the mouth. Sean Tucker electric.
(06:50):
He gave this offense life, he gave them an identity,
and still still we lose forty four to thirty two
against Buffalo. Nine lead changes, wild swings, crazy crowd, and
the same old problem shows up again. Explosive plays allowed
(07:10):
Josh Allen doing Josh Allen things, and that was the difference.
And I'm gonna go ahead and say that Josh Allen
and Baker Mayfield are cut from the same cloth certain attributes,
so were quite a few attributes remind me of one another.
And I think that, you know, for Baker, that is
(07:31):
ultimately why he really got up for this game. That
he knew it wasn't going to be easy. He knew
the kind of opponent that Josh Allen is and wow,
I mean that guy is next level, that is for sure.
So let's talk about offense and identity. You could feel
it early cold day in Buffalo, and cold thing is
relative for you know, you guys. I come from Minnesota
(07:54):
where it gets really cold. I'm talking negative thirty two
in the winter time. But you know, you listen to
Strau and stuff, and he's ready to weep a little bit.
I think because he said the wind is so cold
up there. I kid Rick Stroud. He is my go
to podcast for Bucks and news. But in any event,
it was cold in Buffalo for you know people from
(08:15):
that area, and the Bucks came out with a plan
to run the ball and stick to it, and they did.
Tampa Bay racked up two hundred and two rushing yards
and that is not normal for this team. That was
a team that did their level best, at least offensively
to punch the Bills in the throat. And it wasn't enough.
(08:38):
And this is not something we've been able to say
in weeks. Sean Tucker was the spark. Tucker finished with
one hundred and six rushing yards on nineteen carries. He
added a twenty eight yard touchdown catch. He totaled three
freaking touchdowns on the day. I'm I'm thinking about getting
(09:01):
a Tucker jersey. I don't know about you, guys, but
I was drinking the Creamsyckle kool eight after this game
when I saw what he put up now first three
score game of his career, and honestly, like I said,
looks like RB one. No debate for me. Baker Mayfield
not a fireworks day, but a solid enough sixteen of
twenty eight for one hundred and seventy three yards. And
(09:23):
it all circles back. If you're a weekly listener of
this show that the late game heroics could only go
on so far. The Bucks regained the lead, or they
took the lead rather in the third, but they couldn't
hold on to it, and that is what is most distressing.
He had a rushing touchdown, an interception that hurts, yes,
but he kept plays alive with his legs. The offense
(09:46):
had rhythm, it had balance, and I know I could
sense by watching the game that Baker was playing hurt.
You know the level of that. I mean, only he knows,
but he's not one hundred percent. But he is a
baller and played through it. And for on the big thing,
it felt like the run game wasn't just a suggestion.
Let's talk about play design. The fourth and one red zone,
(10:07):
perfect call, the wheel route to Tucker to take the
fourth quarter lead. That's trusting your playmaker, right. But here's
the tough truth. You put up two hundred and two
rushing yards and still lose the game. Unacceptable, unacceptable, And
(10:28):
I'm here to tell you if the playoffs started today,
it would be curtains for this team in a hurry.
And that's points to issues elsewhere. Defense, special teams, explosives
given up. So to say I'm frustrated after this game
would be an understatement. And you know you kind of
can tock yourself down a little bit. You know, like
(10:49):
when they lost the game against the Patriots, You're like, yeah,
well they got the good quarterback and yeah they'll figure
it all out. Well, I mean, I wasn't reassured. You know,
this team looked good, but the glaring deficiencies are what
has overshadows everything else. And at the end of the day,
a loss, a loss is a loss is a loss,
(11:09):
and that's the part that has me the most troubled
and on deck. The Buccaneers do not have an easier opponent.
All right, So coming up here after the break, we'll
talk about defense, turnovers, and the playmakers. Straight ahead, all right,
(11:32):
Welcome back into this edition of the Bucks Report, part
of the Bucks Report podcast simulcast on the Bucks Minutecast
podcast feed, a part of the Fans' first sports network.
So let's dive into segment two here, and we're talking
about the defense and I don't even really want to
talk about it a little bit of PTSD after the game,
(11:54):
just how this team struggled defensively, and even the harder
part is that we talk about the offensive weaponry that
is there on the horizon at some point will come
and save this team. We don't have that on the defense.
There's no player or play yours that are gonna come
(12:15):
and fix this, and that is what has me the
most concerned. So let's dive into segment number two here
and just given credit where credit is due. You know,
I don't want to totally you know, bury the lead here,
but I'm going to give them a bit of credit
as well. Three takeaways in Buffalo. Eight different Bucks have
(12:37):
interceptions this season, and that is wild Jacob Parrish, that
was the momentum maker that that should have been the
moment that you know, the Buccaneers put that in a
bottle and put the quirk in and just later in
the game let it out. Because for me, that was
the moment that I thought, here we go. And I
cover three different sports. In those sports, it's all about moment.
(13:01):
That was the moment that I thought that that was
the momentum for this team. And then Servassi a Dennis
grabs his first two, Levante forces a fumble. That stuff matters.
That stuff wins you game games. So it's not all bad.
But you know, again, you can't gloss over forty four
points by the Bills. But then the flip side Josh
(13:24):
Allen hit multiple explosives. He hit those chunk throws he
ran for big games. The Bucks allowed three plays of
twenty five yards or more, all converted into points that
cannot happen, not against the league quarterbacks and definitely not
on the road. Now, let me spotlight parashare real quick
(13:46):
because he deserves it, and in the game, the kid
is everywhere tackles for loss, pass breaks, pass breakups, and
pack plays that there were a lot of players that
had me feeling good about the bus. He's near the
top of the league and doing some great things. This
is not normal for a rookie corner. He had two
(14:08):
TFLs in his first pick in the game alone and
Tike Smith too. Right, We're gonna just paint a broad
brush here and talk about who stood out. He keeps
shutting down passing lanes. He had two passes defended that
literally set up the Dennis interception. He's top five in
league and passes defended. Again, this is huge for the
(14:29):
young guy on this team as far as special teams
are concerned, very up and down. Bill's had long returns
and flipped field position. But the Bucks forced a return
fumble that the offense turned into points roller coaster, but
you cannot beat a team like Buffalo giving them short fields.
(14:50):
Todd Bowle said after the game. We got to fix
the explosives. Yeah, exactly, fix that. That is a different outcome.
And you know, pouring over different outlets before I hit
the record button, and you know talking about botched calls,
you know, Todd Bowles, you know, despite you know what
this team has done that there are still quite things
(15:15):
that are worrisome. And this comes from the Tampa Buccaneers
on SI. The play in question came at seven to
twenty eight left in the play, when the Bucks faced
a fourth and two on their own thirty nine yard
line with thirty seven thirty two. The Buccaneers could have
went for it, but instead they opted to punt, and
the Bills, who has scored thirty seven points to that point,
(15:38):
once again marched down the field and scorched another touchdown,
making the score forty four to thirty two and putting
the game out of reach. The move was controversial, with
many fans wondering why the Bucks would give the ball
back to Buffalo with how well the Buffalo's offense had
(15:58):
been doing the entire game. The Bucks were also having
success on the ground, averaging five point two yards per carry,
So the option to run in an attempt to pick
up that first and keep the drive going down five
points was there as well. So you know, Todd Bowles
and his judgment coming back to haunt him yet again.
(16:19):
And you know, the thing of it is is he
is a guy that lives on his wins and losses
that you know, the Buccaneers winning the NFC South multiple
years in a row are a feather in his hat
that no one can take away from him. But you know,
it's the structure around him as well that you got
to know put him in the position. But so a
(16:40):
lot of things still in question for Todd Bowles, and
it's still you know, as I record this, they're still
in first place. And but like I said, Carolina is
right right there that they could overtake the Buccaneers. And
wouldn't that be a hard pill for this team to
swallow lose the NFC seuth for the first time in
(17:01):
a long time to the Carolina Panthers. That is something
that I don't even want to talk about, all right,
So coming up here out for the break, we'll talk
about looking ahead rams next straight ahead. All right, welcome
back into this edition of the Bucks Report podcast, part
(17:23):
of the Bucks Report podcast network, also simulcast on the
Bucks Mintcast podcast feed, part of the Fans First Sports Network.
So let's talk about segment three here and the task
at hand. I mean, the game against the Bills is over,
the game against the Patriots is over. It's all about
adjusting your sites to the horizon and the task at hand,
(17:45):
and well that is the Rams, which, like I said,
are not going to be an easy out either. As
I take a look at the standings. All right now,
it has the Rams in first place in the NFC.
So to say it's gonna get easier to say that
someone's going to bail him out here at some point,
I don't think that is the case. So all right,
(18:09):
I head to a week twelve cross country flight Sunday
night lights, Rams sitting at eight and two winners of
five straight. Matthew Stafford of course, playing at a high level,
Sean Nickveay scheming his guys open all over the field.
This is a heavyweight champion the keys for the Bucks here.
Let's go one. Keep finding what works. In what works
(18:33):
is Sean Tucker, Keep feeding him the ball. If he's
cooking like he did in Buffalo, don't get cute, lean
on him, control the clock, keep Stafford watching from the sideline,
and I don't want any thought. Well, we got to
get the ball order Rashan White, Bye bye ba b
Why do what works? Don't try to fix something that
(18:58):
is not broke and for right now, and I know
it's in a game in a vacuum. Sean Tucker is
the guy number two. Stop the deep seams and crossers.
The Rams love them. They live in that fifteen to
twenty five yard zone. If you give up explosives again,
forget it, good night, and three win field position because
(19:22):
if special teams give Stafford the ball at the forty
early often it's a problem. This is one of those
games where every detail matters, penalties, kick, coverage, communication, all
of it. And we're at the point of the season
where we can't give up another loss. I mean, we're
(19:42):
darn near must win at this point with the teams
around them, and you know, you take a look at
the NFC self big picture, it's quite deplorable, right you know,
you take a look at the Buck six and four,
the Panthers six and five. But then it's whoa way
down there we're talking about the three and seven Falcons
and do we even need to talk about it the
(20:02):
Saints who are two and eight, so you know, and
you don't necessarily have to win the NFC South, but
it would definitely be advantageous and in your best interest
for further greatness to do such a thing. But that's
where we're at right now. And like I say, when
I'm taking a look at the Rams eight and two
on paper, that team is markedly better. So matchups to watch.
(20:27):
Jacob Parridge versus the Rams wide receiver depth, Tikei Smith
patrolling underneath routes and Kalaijah Kansi and ya Ya Dyabi
generating pressure without blitz chaos. Now can Baker and Tucker
repeat the ground success against an aggressive Rams front? That's
huge And the final thought on this matchup the Bucks
(20:49):
don't need to be perfect, but they need to stop
making the losing mistakes. Clean football wins this game. Again,
don't get too cute. See we need the defense's dialed
in and it's easier said than done. Right that when
I take a look at it, who is going to
be the player that is going to elevate this team,
(21:10):
right that that's the hard part that I talk about.
I harp on that the defense needs to get better.
Are they going to be able to learn that in
a week's week's time? Maybe, But I definitely do not
want to talk to you guys on the next pod
about this team dropping another game. It very well could happen,
as like I said, the Rams are a really good team.
(21:32):
But you know, just dig deep. I think that this
team's DNA intrinsically is built for great things. And I
know and I know that there's a lot of injuries.
I hear about you guys all the time on Twitter
that are you thinking about this and that player? Of
course I talk about him, Evans, Godwin, McMillan, Bucky They're
all important, of course, but they're not the only team
(21:55):
in the league to have injuries. They've got to find
a way to overcome or you know, the winning streak
in the NFC South is going to come to an end.
And that's still my goal for this team. I think
that you know Baker, you know, at the Helm and
doing all that he did, and then you take a
look at Sean Tucker and you take a look at
even on defense. You talk all perish and servase Dennis
(22:16):
that there is a lot to be happy about, but
I think at the end of the day, that's just
kind of pacifying me to bigger issues that you know, Okay,
you know, you take a look at it. Tucker had
a good game, and you take a look at it
that you know, there was all the explosive defensive plays. However,
forty four to thirty two, Now that leaves, you know,
(22:41):
just an ugly, disgusting taste in your mouth that the
mouthwash is not going to take away. And for me,
I'm at the point where seeing is believing and you know,
I just they've really got to scheme something up better
to combat the LA team that is going to throw
the kitchen sink at them, and it's not going to
be an easy out. If they can win this game,
(23:04):
this is a momentum builder for sure. This is going
to put them in a better position in a lot
of different regards. And it's what it's going to do
is it's going to restore confidence. It's going to restore
swager to this team. And swager and confidence are not
things that are seen on advanced analytics, but it's a
thing that if your team plays confidently, usually you can
(23:27):
you know, roll that into a few games there. That's
what the Bucks are hoping for right now. The injuries
are what they are, and they've got to find a
way to overcome because at the end of the day,
say you make it to the playoffs, say really, crazy
thought you make it to the super Bowl? You think
that's going to be easy for you. No, you've got
to find a way to march through. They've already failed
(23:48):
against the Patriots, They've failed, you know, in the last
game here as well against the Bills. Not to mention
there was what I'm having to rack my bin Detroit
and Philadelphia as well, that those are all games that
you know, those are the kind of teams that they're
going to have to play and they're going to have
to win if there's any dreams of playoff hopes here.
(24:11):
That's where we're at. That is the state of the
Buccaneers as I record this right now. Again, a lot
is subject to change between now and then. I'm going
to choose to concentrate on the good because honestly, if
I think too much about the things that went wrong,
it's kind of depressing and I don't really want to
be depressed following a sport that I love so much,
But at the end of the day, we're hoping for
(24:33):
a big dub versus the La Rams. Listen, I want
to thank you for joining me on this edition of
The Bucks Report again. Follow on your podcatcher of choice Apple, Spotify, otherwise. Also,
you can subscribe on the Bucks Minute Cast. Oftentimes I'll
put out ten to fifteen minute podcasts through the middle
(24:54):
of the week. There and also the Bucksreport dot com
is your go to for all Buccaneers news on Twitter.
You can find them on bosreport dot com and go
ahead bookmark that. If you want to know about the bus,
just click it. You'll be in the know in a hurry. Listen,
once again, I want to thank you for joining me
on this edition of The Box Reports, and I'll talk
(25:17):
to you again next time.
On today's show, the Bucks drop another game, this time
to the Bills by a score of forty four to
thirty two. How did they lose this game? The defense
Todd Bowles. I'll break it all down next on this
edition of the Bucks Report. Let's get out and then
(00:31):
then then then well, hello and welcome into this edition
(00:59):
of the Bucks Report, part of the Bucks Report podcast network.
I am so glad you decided to join me today.
As always, this podcast is free and available on all
the major platforms. My name is Dan Holmy. You can
find me on Twitter. It's at Dan Caps two an eight.
You can find the show on Twitter, It's at bucks Mintecast.
(01:20):
And the best way that you can help grow this
show is to subscribe to the Bucks Report on YouTube,
like the videos and comment anything down below. So, in
this edition of the Bucks Report, another loss, should I
be reaching for the panic button? It seems like we're
entering into that category where it seemed like the Buccaneers
(01:42):
were clearcut favors, favorites to win the NFC South. But
now they drop two really big games to the Pats,
to the Bills, and it doesn't get any easier as
they take on the Rams next they're in first place. Now,
when you take look at this game, it's easy to say, well,
(02:02):
Baker Mayfield sucks or that sucks. Let's be clear here.
The Buccaneers put up thirty two points. And one of
the things I talked about in last week's podcast is
the mobility of Baker Mayfield. And I'm gonna go ahead
and say it's still pretty good. And I think he's
playing through a bit of pain. There maybe a lot
(02:24):
of pain, and that is nothing new for him. The
thing that is glaringly apparent in this game is the defense.
Giving up forty four points is unacceptable in any other game,
a thirty two should have won it, and then some
for the Bucks. And I think ultimately where the frustration
(02:48):
seeps in for Baker Mayfield. The ultimate competitor, the player,
the quarterback that is willing to do whatever it takes
to win a game. Guy who runs in for a
touchdown and just so hyped he takes the football and
flips it into the stands. That is the kind of
(03:08):
passion that I love about Baker Mayfield. And I think
what frustrates him There's a couple things. It's the defense.
He knows it's a bit porous, right, if you're giving
up forty four points, it's not totally dialed in, and
the lack of weapons that he has at his disposal.
But to be clear here, John Tucker mo Man torching
(03:30):
it out there. I'll talk about him a little bit
later and where he stands within this organization. Sterling Shepherd
for example, TEDZ Johnson that it's not the way that
this season was sketched out right that you know, it
was supposed to be Evans and Godwin and it was
supposed to be Jalen McMillan and Mecha Abuka. You know
Abuka's in there as well, but you know, missing Godwin,
(03:54):
Evans and McMillan is huge. But all of those things,
even if you had all of those often of weapons,
Bucky Irving in that mix as well, it's not going
to win you games if you're giving up forty four points.
Just unacceptable. So let's just talk about the box score.
You know, it's all about x's and o's and numbers
(04:14):
as far as I'm concerned. Baker on the game sixteen
for twenty eight one hundred and seventy three yards, one touchdown,
one interception, But the main event to be clear here,
Sean Tucker is RB one, And you know why did
it take so long to come to this conclusion? Right
(04:35):
I know that when Bucky comes back, it should be
Bucky one, and it should be Sean Tucker number two.
But right now, with Bucky out, make no mistake about it,
Sean or Rashad White is good, but Sean Tucker is
the man. Rushing nineteen carries one hundred and six yards
five point six average, two touchdowns. And then you take
(04:57):
a look at Sean Tucker receive two receptions thirty four
yards for one touchdown, three touchdowns in one game. If
that guy is not RB one in your mind, you
might want to get your head checked out. He was
dialed in. Conversely, Rashad White ten carries fifty one yards,
(05:19):
zero touchdowns. So those are the players that stand out.
Baker Mayfield, it's Sean Tucker. It is the opportunities. You
know that the Bucks, you know, perish interception in this game.
In Servasier Dennis that there is a lot of good
to talk about, and the fact that the Bucks even
(05:41):
had the lead in the third if memory serves that
there was a clear cut path to victory, but they
let it go. And here we are talking about another
loss and guess what, Folks that Carolina Panthers, No, this
is not a fever dream are then down their throat. Yes,
(06:03):
Dave Canalis is the guy pushing the buttons, pulling the strings. Yeah,
that Dave Canalis who took that team from the Ashes
and is challenging the Buccaneers. There is a possibility that
if the Bucks lose in this next game, which is
I hate to see it, a scenario that could potentially
be that Carolina could supplant the Buccaneers is going to
(06:28):
come to that. You know, I don't know if that's
the case, but it definitely does have me worried. I'm
getting all worked up here. I haven't even dove into
the show. Let's get into it. There is much to
get into here. So the opening biggest takeaway the Bucks
finally ran the ball like a team that showed up
ready to punch somebody in the mouth. Sean Tucker electric.
(06:50):
He gave this offense life, he gave them an identity,
and still still we lose forty four to thirty two
against Buffalo. Nine lead changes, wild swings, crazy crowd, and
the same old problem shows up again. Explosive plays allowed
(07:10):
Josh Allen doing Josh Allen things, and that was the difference.
And I'm gonna go ahead and say that Josh Allen
and Baker Mayfield are cut from the same cloth certain attributes,
so were quite a few attributes remind me of one another.
And I think that, you know, for Baker, that is
(07:31):
ultimately why he really got up for this game. That
he knew it wasn't going to be easy. He knew
the kind of opponent that Josh Allen is and wow,
I mean that guy is next level, that is for sure.
So let's talk about offense and identity. You could feel
it early cold day in Buffalo, and cold thing is
relative for you know, you guys. I come from Minnesota
(07:54):
where it gets really cold. I'm talking negative thirty two
in the winter time. But you know, you listen to
Strau and stuff, and he's ready to weep a little bit.
I think because he said the wind is so cold
up there. I kid Rick Stroud. He is my go
to podcast for Bucks and news. But in any event,
it was cold in Buffalo for you know people from
(08:15):
that area, and the Bucks came out with a plan
to run the ball and stick to it, and they did.
Tampa Bay racked up two hundred and two rushing yards
and that is not normal for this team. That was
a team that did their level best, at least offensively
to punch the Bills in the throat. And it wasn't enough.
(08:38):
And this is not something we've been able to say
in weeks. Sean Tucker was the spark. Tucker finished with
one hundred and six rushing yards on nineteen carries. He
added a twenty eight yard touchdown catch. He totaled three
freaking touchdowns on the day. I'm I'm thinking about getting
(09:01):
a Tucker jersey. I don't know about you, guys, but
I was drinking the Creamsyckle kool eight after this game
when I saw what he put up now first three
score game of his career, and honestly, like I said,
looks like RB one. No debate for me. Baker Mayfield
not a fireworks day, but a solid enough sixteen of
twenty eight for one hundred and seventy three yards. And
(09:23):
it all circles back. If you're a weekly listener of
this show that the late game heroics could only go
on so far. The Bucks regained the lead, or they
took the lead rather in the third, but they couldn't
hold on to it, and that is what is most distressing.
He had a rushing touchdown, an interception that hurts, yes,
but he kept plays alive with his legs. The offense
(09:46):
had rhythm, it had balance, and I know I could
sense by watching the game that Baker was playing hurt.
You know the level of that. I mean, only he knows,
but he's not one hundred percent. But he is a
baller and played through it. And for on the big thing,
it felt like the run game wasn't just a suggestion.
Let's talk about play design. The fourth and one red zone,
(10:07):
perfect call, the wheel route to Tucker to take the
fourth quarter lead. That's trusting your playmaker, right. But here's
the tough truth. You put up two hundred and two
rushing yards and still lose the game. Unacceptable, unacceptable, And
(10:28):
I'm here to tell you if the playoffs started today,
it would be curtains for this team in a hurry.
And that's points to issues elsewhere. Defense, special teams, explosives
given up. So to say I'm frustrated after this game
would be an understatement. And you know you kind of
can tock yourself down a little bit. You know, like
(10:49):
when they lost the game against the Patriots, You're like, yeah,
well they got the good quarterback and yeah they'll figure
it all out. Well, I mean, I wasn't reassured. You know,
this team looked good, but the glaring deficiencies are what
has overshadows everything else. And at the end of the day,
a loss, a loss is a loss is a loss,
(11:09):
and that's the part that has me the most troubled
and on deck. The Buccaneers do not have an easier opponent.
All right, So coming up here after the break, we'll
talk about defense, turnovers, and the playmakers. Straight ahead, all right,
(11:32):
Welcome back into this edition of the Bucks Report, part
of the Bucks Report podcast simulcast on the Bucks Minutecast
podcast feed, a part of the Fans' first sports network.
So let's dive into segment two here, and we're talking
about the defense and I don't even really want to
talk about it a little bit of PTSD after the game,
(11:54):
just how this team struggled defensively, and even the harder
part is that we talk about the offensive weaponry that
is there on the horizon at some point will come
and save this team. We don't have that on the defense.
There's no player or play yours that are gonna come
(12:15):
and fix this, and that is what has me the
most concerned. So let's dive into segment number two here
and just given credit where credit is due. You know,
I don't want to totally you know, bury the lead here,
but I'm going to give them a bit of credit
as well. Three takeaways in Buffalo. Eight different Bucks have
(12:37):
interceptions this season, and that is wild Jacob Parrish, that
was the momentum maker that that should have been the
moment that you know, the Buccaneers put that in a
bottle and put the quirk in and just later in
the game let it out. Because for me, that was
the moment that I thought, here we go. And I
cover three different sports. In those sports, it's all about moment.
(13:01):
That was the moment that I thought that that was
the momentum for this team. And then Servassi a Dennis
grabs his first two, Levante forces a fumble. That stuff matters.
That stuff wins you game games. So it's not all bad.
But you know, again, you can't gloss over forty four
points by the Bills. But then the flip side Josh
(13:24):
Allen hit multiple explosives. He hit those chunk throws he
ran for big games. The Bucks allowed three plays of
twenty five yards or more, all converted into points that
cannot happen, not against the league quarterbacks and definitely not
on the road. Now, let me spotlight parashare real quick
(13:46):
because he deserves it, and in the game, the kid
is everywhere tackles for loss, pass breaks, pass breakups, and
pack plays that there were a lot of players that
had me feeling good about the bus. He's near the
top of the league and doing some great things. This
is not normal for a rookie corner. He had two
(14:08):
TFLs in his first pick in the game alone and
Tike Smith too. Right, We're gonna just paint a broad
brush here and talk about who stood out. He keeps
shutting down passing lanes. He had two passes defended that
literally set up the Dennis interception. He's top five in
league and passes defended. Again, this is huge for the
(14:29):
young guy on this team as far as special teams
are concerned, very up and down. Bill's had long returns
and flipped field position. But the Bucks forced a return
fumble that the offense turned into points roller coaster, but
you cannot beat a team like Buffalo giving them short fields.
(14:50):
Todd Bowle said after the game. We got to fix
the explosives. Yeah, exactly, fix that. That is a different outcome.
And you know, pouring over different outlets before I hit
the record button, and you know talking about botched calls,
you know, Todd Bowles, you know, despite you know what
this team has done that there are still quite things
(15:15):
that are worrisome. And this comes from the Tampa Buccaneers
on SI. The play in question came at seven to
twenty eight left in the play, when the Bucks faced
a fourth and two on their own thirty nine yard
line with thirty seven thirty two. The Buccaneers could have
went for it, but instead they opted to punt, and
the Bills, who has scored thirty seven points to that point,
(15:38):
once again marched down the field and scorched another touchdown,
making the score forty four to thirty two and putting
the game out of reach. The move was controversial, with
many fans wondering why the Bucks would give the ball
back to Buffalo with how well the Buffalo's offense had
(15:58):
been doing the entire game. The Bucks were also having
success on the ground, averaging five point two yards per carry,
So the option to run in an attempt to pick
up that first and keep the drive going down five
points was there as well. So you know, Todd Bowles
and his judgment coming back to haunt him yet again.
(16:19):
And you know, the thing of it is is he
is a guy that lives on his wins and losses
that you know, the Buccaneers winning the NFC South multiple
years in a row are a feather in his hat
that no one can take away from him. But you know,
it's the structure around him as well that you got
to know put him in the position. But so a
(16:40):
lot of things still in question for Todd Bowles, and
it's still you know, as I record this, they're still
in first place. And but like I said, Carolina is
right right there that they could overtake the Buccaneers. And
wouldn't that be a hard pill for this team to
swallow lose the NFC seuth for the first time in
(17:01):
a long time to the Carolina Panthers. That is something
that I don't even want to talk about, all right,
So coming up here out for the break, we'll talk
about looking ahead rams next straight ahead. All right, welcome
back into this edition of the Bucks Report podcast, part
(17:23):
of the Bucks Report podcast network, also simulcast on the
Bucks Mintcast podcast feed, part of the Fans First Sports Network.
So let's talk about segment three here and the task
at hand. I mean, the game against the Bills is over,
the game against the Patriots is over. It's all about
adjusting your sites to the horizon and the task at hand,
(17:45):
and well that is the Rams, which, like I said,
are not going to be an easy out either. As
I take a look at the standings. All right now,
it has the Rams in first place in the NFC.
So to say it's gonna get easier to say that
someone's going to bail him out here at some point,
I don't think that is the case. So all right,
(18:09):
I head to a week twelve cross country flight Sunday
night lights, Rams sitting at eight and two winners of
five straight. Matthew Stafford of course, playing at a high level,
Sean Nickveay scheming his guys open all over the field.
This is a heavyweight champion the keys for the Bucks here.
Let's go one. Keep finding what works. In what works
(18:33):
is Sean Tucker, Keep feeding him the ball. If he's
cooking like he did in Buffalo, don't get cute, lean
on him, control the clock, keep Stafford watching from the sideline,
and I don't want any thought. Well, we got to
get the ball order Rashan White, Bye bye ba b
Why do what works? Don't try to fix something that
(18:58):
is not broke and for right now, and I know
it's in a game in a vacuum. Sean Tucker is
the guy number two. Stop the deep seams and crossers.
The Rams love them. They live in that fifteen to
twenty five yard zone. If you give up explosives again,
forget it, good night, and three win field position because
(19:22):
if special teams give Stafford the ball at the forty
early often it's a problem. This is one of those
games where every detail matters, penalties, kick, coverage, communication, all
of it. And we're at the point of the season
where we can't give up another loss. I mean, we're
(19:42):
darn near must win at this point with the teams
around them, and you know, you take a look at
the NFC self big picture, it's quite deplorable, right you know,
you take a look at the Buck six and four,
the Panthers six and five. But then it's whoa way
down there we're talking about the three and seven Falcons
and do we even need to talk about it the
(20:02):
Saints who are two and eight, so you know, and
you don't necessarily have to win the NFC South, but
it would definitely be advantageous and in your best interest
for further greatness to do such a thing. But that's
where we're at right now. And like I say, when
I'm taking a look at the Rams eight and two
on paper, that team is markedly better. So matchups to watch.
(20:27):
Jacob Parridge versus the Rams wide receiver depth, Tikei Smith
patrolling underneath routes and Kalaijah Kansi and ya Ya Dyabi
generating pressure without blitz chaos. Now can Baker and Tucker
repeat the ground success against an aggressive Rams front? That's
huge And the final thought on this matchup the Bucks
(20:49):
don't need to be perfect, but they need to stop
making the losing mistakes. Clean football wins this game. Again,
don't get too cute. See we need the defense's dialed
in and it's easier said than done. Right that when
I take a look at it, who is going to
be the player that is going to elevate this team,
(21:10):
right that that's the hard part that I talk about.
I harp on that the defense needs to get better.
Are they going to be able to learn that in
a week's week's time? Maybe, But I definitely do not
want to talk to you guys on the next pod
about this team dropping another game. It very well could happen,
as like I said, the Rams are a really good team.
(21:32):
But you know, just dig deep. I think that this
team's DNA intrinsically is built for great things. And I
know and I know that there's a lot of injuries.
I hear about you guys all the time on Twitter
that are you thinking about this and that player? Of
course I talk about him, Evans, Godwin, McMillan, Bucky They're
all important, of course, but they're not the only team
(21:55):
in the league to have injuries. They've got to find
a way to overcome or you know, the winning streak
in the NFC South is going to come to an end.
And that's still my goal for this team. I think
that you know Baker, you know, at the Helm and
doing all that he did, and then you take a
look at Sean Tucker and you take a look at
even on defense. You talk all perish and servase Dennis
(22:16):
that there is a lot to be happy about, but
I think at the end of the day, that's just
kind of pacifying me to bigger issues that you know, Okay,
you know, you take a look at it. Tucker had
a good game, and you take a look at it
that you know, there was all the explosive defensive plays. However,
forty four to thirty two, Now that leaves, you know,
(22:41):
just an ugly, disgusting taste in your mouth that the
mouthwash is not going to take away. And for me,
I'm at the point where seeing is believing and you know,
I just they've really got to scheme something up better
to combat the LA team that is going to throw
the kitchen sink at them, and it's not going to
be an easy out. If they can win this game,
(23:04):
this is a momentum builder for sure. This is going
to put them in a better position in a lot
of different regards. And it's what it's going to do
is it's going to restore confidence. It's going to restore
swager to this team. And swager and confidence are not
things that are seen on advanced analytics, but it's a
thing that if your team plays confidently, usually you can
(23:27):
you know, roll that into a few games there. That's
what the Bucks are hoping for right now. The injuries
are what they are, and they've got to find a
way to overcome because at the end of the day,
say you make it to the playoffs, say really, crazy
thought you make it to the super Bowl? You think
that's going to be easy for you. No, you've got
to find a way to march through. They've already failed
(23:48):
against the Patriots, They've failed, you know, in the last
game here as well against the Bills. Not to mention
there was what I'm having to rack my bin Detroit
and Philadelphia as well, that those are all games that
you know, those are the kind of teams that they're
going to have to play and they're going to have
to win if there's any dreams of playoff hopes here.
(24:11):
That's where we're at. That is the state of the
Buccaneers as I record this right now. Again, a lot
is subject to change between now and then. I'm going
to choose to concentrate on the good because honestly, if
I think too much about the things that went wrong,
it's kind of depressing and I don't really want to
be depressed following a sport that I love so much,
But at the end of the day, we're hoping for
(24:33):
a big dub versus the La Rams. Listen, I want
to thank you for joining me on this edition of
The Bucks Report again. Follow on your podcatcher of choice Apple, Spotify, otherwise. Also,
you can subscribe on the Bucks Minute Cast. Oftentimes I'll
put out ten to fifteen minute podcasts through the middle
(24:54):
of the week. There and also the Bucksreport dot com
is your go to for all Buccaneers news on Twitter.
You can find them on bosreport dot com and go
ahead bookmark that. If you want to know about the bus,
just click it. You'll be in the know in a hurry. Listen,
once again, I want to thank you for joining me
on this edition of The Box Reports, and I'll talk
(25:17):
to you again next time.
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