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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were dealt with a bitter loss at the hands of the New Orleans Saints by way of a 36-27 decision in Week 8. Even after opposing QB Jameis Winston went down with a season-ending ACL injury, the Bucs still couldn't overcome their divisional rivals on Sunday night. Nonetheless, in this post we'll be providing our Buccaneers Week 8 takeaways following the event that was.
With the loss, Tom Brady and his squad dropped to a 6-2 record but are still holding the top spot in the NFC South. Tampa Bay will aim to bounce back after their bye week as they visit the Washington Football Team for Week 10 action.
Here are our Buccaneers Week 8 takeaways after their loss to the Saints.
Buccaneers Week 8 Takeaways
3. Rob Gronkowski's extended absence is a huge blow to the offense.
Tight end Rob Gronkowski has been off to a productive start to the 2021 season as he notched 184 yards on 16 catches and four touchdowns through their first three games. However, he went on to miss the next four contests due to a rib injury that he sustained in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams.
Gronk finally made his return on the field against the Saints though he didn't last long as he experienced back spasms in the third quarter. He recorded a lone target and zero catches before heading to the locker rooms.
After the most recent setback, Brady is now left without one of his most trusted weapons who is capable of providing a spark to the offense at any given time. Though he isn't his old explosive self, Gronk still serves as a major threat in the red zone and can regularly attract opposing defenders on the field.
In his absence, the other tight ends in Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard are both expected to step up and fill the hole as they await his return in the weeks to come.
2. The depth of the team's receiving unit was showcased against the Saints.
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Aside from Gronkowski, wide receiver Antonio Brown was also inactive against New Orleans due to an ankle injury sustained in Week 6 against the Philadelphia Eagles. In his absence, a recently elevated practice squad WR in Cyril Grayson stepped up in a bid to save the game for the Bucs.
Though he failed in doing so, the former All-American sprinter still produced 50 yards on a single catch and a scored touchdown for the Bucs. Chris Godwin and Tyler Johnson also had huge games which allowed them to score a total of 26 points. However, the Bucs' defense wasn't able to contain their opponents which eventually led to the loss.
Still, it was a good showing from the receiving unit despite missing the services of Gronkowski and Brown. With their extended absence, the team's depth will surely be tested and fans can expect to see more of Grayson and the other receivers on the field moving forward.
1. Penalties hurt the Bucs' chances of winning the game.
Last week, the Buccaneers had a clean game as they only recorded a single penalty against the Chicago Bears. However, things got a bit messier against the Saints as they earned a total of 11 penalties in Week 8, per the team's website.
Those errors eventually allowed their opponents to gain 99 yards and resulted in numerous first downs for Sean Payton and his squad. On the other hand, the Saints only committed two penalties for 10 yards.
Certainly enough, more is expected from a talented team like the Bucs that can easily avoid getting those penalties in the first place. The chances that were given to their opponents eventually hurt them as the Saints were able to win the game by a significant margin despite losing their QB1 with a season-ending injury.
The Bucs can certainly learn a lot from this game and they would have to cut down their errors if they want to maintain their title hopes for the rest of the season.
