The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered their Week 4 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs with hopes of bouncing back from their heartbreaking loss to the Green Bay Packers. Unfortunately for them, things did not start well.

Tampa Bay fumbled the opening kickoff, giving Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs great field position. In less than a minute, the Buccaneers were already down by a touchdown. Kansas City would never lose its lead. The Bucs ended up losing 41-31.

Tom Brady and co. are now 2-2 but remains at the top of the NFC South. The team's next game is against a division foe in the Atlanta Falcons, who share the same record as the Buccaneers.

But for now, head coach Todd Bowles, Tom Brady and company should analyze what went wrong on Sunday and try to fix it, as well as see what the team did right. With that being said, here are three takeaways from the Buccaneers’ Week 4 loss versus the Chiefs.

3. The Buccaneers' run game cannot disappear again

If there was one area that stood out for for the wrong reasons for Tampa Bay, it was the run game. The Buccaneers only had six carries for a total of three yards and a touchdown by rookie Rachaad White. For comparison, the Chiefs had 37 carries for 189 yards and two touchdowns.

Notably, Leonard Fournette, Tampa Bay's main running back, only had three carries, totaling a loss of three yards. He took a larger role as a receiver in the game, catching seven passes for 57 yards and a score. Still, his limited participation on the ground certainly played a role in the team's loss.

In the Buccaneers' two wins, Fournette averaged 96 yards per game. In the two losses, that number goes down to 16.

Tampa Bay's hopes should be another Super Bowl appearance, so preserving Brady's arm for the playoffs is ideal. That means more carries could be helpful. With that said, Fournette and the rest of the running weapons must step up, otherwise, a title will be more and more distant.

2. Tom Brady still got it

Despite the loss, there is one thing that should make Buccaneers fans very happy. After a slow start in 2022, Tom Brady had his best game so far. On Sunday, the quarterback completed 39 of his 52 pass attempts, a completion rate of 75 percent for 385 yards and three touchdowns with no picks. All numbers were his best marks this season.

Prior to the game against the Chiefs, Brady had yet to have a 300-yard game and pass for multiple scores in 2022. His performances even raised some questions if his missed time in the preseason was somehow affecting him. However, he silenced critics with a performance that reminded people of his best years in New England.

At age 45, it would be understandable if his production decreased a little bit. But after Week 4, it seems Brady still got some left in the tank. Should he keep playing like he did in this game, Tampa Bay fans should be excited for what is in store. Any team with Brady is a contender, especially if he is in his best form, and that is how he was versus Kansas City.

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1. It is not time to panic, but this was the Buccaneers' “wake-up call”

The Buccaneers remain real contenders for the Super Bowl, but things appear to be tougher than expected. Two consecutive losses early in the season, especially to elite teams, should be enough to make some fans get a bit desperate.

Although it is not time to panic, the loss to the Chiefs should serve as a “wake-up call” for the Buccaneers. The team's 2-2 record is tied with Atlanta, who is Tampa Bay's next opponent. The Falcons were once projected to be one of the worst teams in the league this season, but they have been making some noise. They lost two games by a combined five points, including a four-point defeat to the Rams. Now, coming off two big wins, Atlanta should have momentum on its side.

On the other hand, the Buccaneers come from two poor performances as a team. They only scored 12 points in Week 3, then allowed 41 points the following game. Both numbers are far from ideal and should at the very least bug Bowles and the coaching staff.

Three losses in a row would be devastating for the Buccaneers' hopes of another title with Brady under center. If that happens, many changes could occur, including in the starting lineup and even trades. Should the team not improve in Week 5 and lose to Atlanta, then it will be time for some panic. But until then, Bowles and Tampa Bay should answer the “wake-up call” and learn what happened these past few weeks.