Yarcho’s Pick Six: Bucs Fall To 0-4 At Home

In his first year with the Buccaneers, Lovie Smith went 0-8 at home. Now, first year head coach Dirk Koetter is halfway there after a 43-28 beatdown at the hands of the Falcons.

As so many of these games have this year, Thursday night’s match-up with the Atlanta Falcons started off well. The Buccaneers took the opening possession down the field for a touchdown to Mike Evans. The Falcons would answer back with a touchdown of their own in under two minutes. And despite the Bucs fumbling on two consecutive possessions, they still managed to take a 14-13 lead. After that, it was all Atlanta.

It was evident the defense was completely exhausted and unable to get off the field. The offense having a three-and-out on their first possession of the second half didn’t help matters any. Injuries played another pivotal role as the Bucs saw Joe Hawley,  Kwon Alexander,  Mike Evans, Jameis Winston, and Antone Smith all leave the game. For the second time in five days, let’s pick six.

Six Topics Suitable For Debate

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1. Is this team really this bad? Or have the injuries taken away too many playmakers? This was a prolific, record setting offense last season. No Doug Martin, Vincent Jackson, Charles Sims, Jacquizz Rodgers…this offense can get absolutely nothing going outside of Mike Evans. The offensive line was complete garbage after Hawley left the game with a knee injury and Winston was turned into a punching bag by the Falcons. There can’t be this big of a drop off strictly because of play calling. The play calling has been altered because of the lack of players on the field. Adam Humphries and Cameron Brate have played well, but they aren’t game breakers. They aren’t game changers. They’re role players that fulfill their role. That’s it. Jason Licht appears to have vastly overestimated the talent on this roster in the off-season and he has his work cut out for him after this season.
2. The NFL doesn’t really give a crap about concussions, unless you’re a marquee player. Mike Evans made an amazing one handed catch, only to be blasted right in the head as his feet touched the ground. Jameis Winston was knocked with a helmet to helmet hit after throwing a pass – yet again. On a two point conversion, he was speared in the shoulder/head. Guess how many flags were thrown. Yep, you got it…none. Not a damn one. Winston has taken almost ten – yes ten – shots to the head this season and has yet to draw a flag. I may despise Cam Newton, but at this point, he is absolutely right in his fight for protecting himself since the referees can’t seem to throw a flag and enforce the rules regarding head shots. Keanu Neal would’ve been ejected in college for his shot on Mike Evans, but in the NFL, it doesn’t even draw a flag. Absolutely inexcusable and pathetic. Now, Mike Evans has entered concussion protocol. Hopefully he’s okay, but luckily he gets an extra three days to bounce back.
3. Mike Evans is elite. Period. I don’t care what anyone says. I brought it up earlier in the season and had some push back. Now? Anyone who tells you Mike Evans isn’t a top five receiver in this league is flat out wrong. What receivers can you consider better? Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, A.J. Green…then who? Some could make the case for Odell Beckham Jr, but I’d take Evans over him based on immaturity and antics alone. Evans is making a name for himself in this league. And he’s only getting better…
4. Gerald McCoy haters can shut up. If you can’t appreciate what this guy actually does, what he brings to this team, then this is for you. Everyone wants to make excuses for Winston and Evans about how they have no help. Yet, all the defensive struggles are all McCoy‘s fault? WRONG. They’ve tried to get McCoy help and how’s that gone? Michael Johnson? Waste of money. Clinton McDonald? Hurt more than McCoy is. Robert Ayers? Missed more games than he’s played in a Bucs uniform. Noah Spence? Rookie who can’t play every snap because he can’t defend the run. Brian Price? Out of the league. Da’Quan Bowers? Unemployed. McCoy is a damn fine football player and one of the best defensive tackles in football. And to all of you that call him garbage or want to trade him or say he’s not worth the money, answer this: look at the other dominant defensive tackles in the league. Look at their lines. How many of them have legitimate threats lined up with them? How many of them are pushing two and three guys off of them on every single play? The more you hate on him or call him garbage or say he sucks, the stupider you look. Knock it off. It’s old. It’s annoying. Most of all, it’s a purely false narrative made up to give you something to yell about and someone to blame.
5. The extra time off should help. With all the injuries piled up in this game, plus the injuries the team is already dealing with, this mini bye week will help. The Buccaneers desperately need Doug Martin to return and the extra time will surely help Russell Shepard and Clinton McDonald get back on the field. The season, at this point, may be a lost one. It will take a lot of things going Tampa’s way to have a fighting chance to get into the postseason race. Getting key players back will help that.
6. Credit to Atlanta. They’re the real deal. For all the things that went wrong in Atlanta last year, they have bounced back to become one of the NFL’s best. The defense is coming together the way Dan Quinn envisioned and the offense is clicking better than ever. Matt Ryan is on an MVP pace, Julio Jones is already being fitted for a gold jacket, and the Freeman/Coleman backfield is one of the most dangerous combos in any NFL back field. Give credit where credit is due, the Falcons are legit.

Six Numbers To Consider

8 – Touchdowns by Mike Evans – the most by a Buccaneers receiver through eight games

4 – Starting running backs so far this year for the Bucs

11 – Receptions by Mike Evans, a single game career high

39.5 – Career sacks by Gerald McCoy, fourth most in team history

17 – Touchdown passes by Winston this year, most in team history through eight games

1,087 – Total yards given up by the Bucs in last two games

Ring of Honor

There won’t be a list of six for this one. Just, quite simply, a thank you. John Lynch was inducted into the Ring of Honor during halftime of Thursday’s game and deservedly so. Lynch was a key member of the defense that shaped the late 1990’s-early 2000’s Buccaneers defense that would eventually go on to win Super Bowl XXXVII. It was disappointing to see the safeties play as poorly as they did against Atlanta on a night when one of the greatest safeties in NFL history was being honored.

The number 47 will forever be linked with smart, aggressive, hard hitting football courtesy of Lynch. He will continue his bid for Canton in the coming months and it would be an absolute travesty and disservice to the game of football if John Lynch isn’t enshrined in the Hall.

So thank you, Mr. Lynch. Thank you for the memories, the bone crushing highlights, the culture of winning you helped instill, and for the greatest memory of any Buccaneers fan – a Super Bowl victory.

Six Best Tweets

https://twitter.com/MJ3_TB/status/794375633300295682

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/794352083042340864

Six Super Bowl Bets

1.) New England Patriots – Nothing’s changed. They’re the best

2.) Denver Broncos – 6-2 with a big divisional game Sunday

3.) Dallas Cowboys – They can’t go back to Romo, right?

4.) Oakland Raiders – *See ‘Denver Broncos’*

5.) Atlanta Falcons – There’s no denying it, they’re legitimate contenders

28.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers – They’re learning to compete, miles from contending

Next: Bucs' Winners and Losers vs. Falcons

Six Final Words

Another Home Game, Another Disappointing Loss