by Carter Brantley
The Bucs came out and looked as flat as they have all year in a borderline must-win game, falling short in a 26-24 loss on the road to the Dallas Cowboys.
The Atlanta Falcons managed to take care of business against the hapless Giants Sunday afternoon and now have sole possession of 1st place in the NFC South.
With the loss the Bucs have to win their final 2 games at home against the Panthers and Saints and hope the Falcons lose to either the Commanders or Panthersvin order to defend their division title.
Offensively the Bucs were held in check most of the game.
Despite the Cowboys ranking dead last in coverage grades on Pro Football Focus, the passing offense didn’t crack 200 yards until the second half of the 4th quarter.
Running the ball didn’t net much either, as the Cowboys’ lackluster rush defense that’s last in most major categories managed to hold the Bucs to a single rushing touchdown and 134 yards on the ground.
The defense for the Bucs struggled as mightily as they have all year in the 1st half, allowing Cowboys backup QB Cooper Rush to pick them apart for 292 yards for the game and 23 points in the first half.
In the end, the Bucs still gained more yards, outgaining Dallas 411 to 317 for the game, but their pair of turnovers (another pick from Baker Mayfield as he continues his efforts to overtake recently benched Kirk Cousins for the league lead in interceptions thrown) were too much to overcome, especially as the defense failed to cause any takeaways themselves.
Alas, the Bucs still have a decent shot to win the division; the Atlanta Falcons head to Washington to take on rookie sensation Jayden Daniels and the Commanders next Sunday night.
The Commanders are playing for a playoff spot of their own and are coming off a huge come-from-behind victory over the Eagles Sunday afternoon.
The Bucs will have to hope the Falcons can lose to either Washington or the surging Panthers who eliminated the Arizona Cardinals from playoff contention Sunday afternoon.
Tampa Bay also has to win out themselves, hopefully taking care of those aforementioned Panthers next weekend and the Saints to finish their season.
Missing out on this chance to win the division for a 4th straight season could prove costly to many including head coach Todd Bowles, especially with rumors surrounding Bucs talented offensive coordinator Liam Coen being targeted for other head coaching opportunities.
Depending on how this season finishes, the offseason could prove to be a period of change for these Bucs.
