The Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered a terrible loss to the Washington Football Team on Sunday, 29-19. They have fallen to 6-3 on the season and are narrowly holding on to the NFC South. It was their second consecutive loss after being defeated by the New Orleans Saints two weeks ago.
Heading into the season, the Buccaneers were the favorite to come out on top of the NFC. However, after their last two games, they have struggled on both sides of the ball.
Here are three Buccaneers' takeaways from their abysmal Week 10 loss to the Washington Football Team.
3. They need to limit turnovers
Tom Brady and the Buccaneers offense have struggled with turnovers, especially in the last two weeks. Against Washington, Brady threw two interceptions, which got them off to a slow start.
From that point on, they had to rely heavily on the passing game as they trailed early. The Buccaneers were playing comeback all game, which is not a good style of football.
Moving forward, Brady and the offense will need to limit their turnovers. They can do this by establishing the run game and setting up easier passes through play-action.
2. The defense needs improvement
One of the many strengths of the defending Super Bowl champions last season was their defense. This season, they have struggled, allowing 29 points to Washington. Although the offense had two turnovers that put the defense in a bad position, it was still a letdown of a performance by the Buccaneers defenders.
They were able to get pressure on Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke with five sacks and forced a fumble but were atrocious other than that. The defense allowed Heinicke to get in a rhythm with a balanced rushing and passing attack.
1. The Buccaneers aren't the NFC favorite
The NFC is loaded with talented teams this season, and with two bad weeks in a row, the Buccaneers are no longer the favorite in the conference. Even though they won the Super Bowl last season, they don't appear to be the same team. The defense has struggled of late and the offense is turning the ball over frequently.
That combination is not going to win many football games, especially against great teams in the NFL Playoffs. Brady and the offense will need to get their turnover problem in check to ignite the explosive unit. Defensively, they need to get back to stuffing the run, which allows the secondary to play better.
Brady has played well this season, despite the struggles the last two weeks. He has thrown for 2,870 yards along with 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Brady is still in the MVP conversation, but he will need to play well the rest of the season.
The Buccaneers now move on to their next week opponent, the New York Giants. This is an excellent opportunity for Tampa Bay to get back on track as the Giants are 3-6.
But with the way the Buccaneers are playing as of late, they won't be the top seed in the NFC. With that said, that doesn't mean everything when it comes to their postseason success. Last season, the Buccaneers were the no. 5 seed and went on to win the Super Bowl.
Follow Us
Subscribe