The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were riding high after a thrilling road win in Detroit, despite being short-handed. However, their injury woes continued, with key players like right tackle Luke Goedeke, safety Antoine Winfield, defensive tackle Vita Vea, and defensive tackle Calijah Kancey sidelined for their home matchup against the winless Denver Broncos, led by rookie quarterback Bo Nix.
From the opening whistle, things went awry. Nix led a methodical drive down the field, culminating in a touchdown before the Raymond James Stadium crowd could even settle in. The Broncos’ momentum continued on a demoralizing 4th-down conversion, pushing their lead to 14-0.
A glimmer of hope emerged when the Buccaneers narrowed the deficit to 17-7 with under two minutes remaining in the half. However, they surrendered three consecutive easy pass plays, allowing the Broncos to march down the field and add three more points before halftime. The Buccaneers never regained their footing, ultimately falling 26-7.
This lackluster performance exposed several issues, including the secondary’s tendency to play too far off, struggles with containing the zone read (a concern with Jalen Hurts looming on the horizon), and difficulties protecting the quarterback. Although the return of Goedeke should help alleviate some of these problems.
Despite this dismal outing, the Buccaneers remain tied for first place in the NFC South after the Saints also suffered a loss. They’ll look to regroup and bounce back in their next contest.
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