Tampa Bay Buccaneers prove they still have growing to do
By Rob Leeds
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still a great team, but the close matchup with the New York Giants shows that some growth is still needed.
The matchup between the New York Giants and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did not live up to expectations, at least for the Bucs fans.
The game was too close from the opening whistle, and the Buccaneers appeared to revert to the same issues that plagued the team at the beginning of the season. After the Giants jumped out to a lead early on, the game looked eerily similar to the debacle against the Bears.
While the Buccaneers did end up pulling out the win, it was by the skin of their teeth. The Giants were in place to force overtime, but a controversial call went in favor of the Bucs, and the rest is history.
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At six and two, Tampa Bay is off to one of its best starts in franchise history, but a win like this still stings in a weird way. Perhaps this feeling is just a sign that the team is growing.
The Buccaneers of years passed would have little shot at winning a game like this, and even if they did, this win would be one to celebrate. Gone are the days where barely beating bad teams is acceptable, and that is a mentality that the Buccaneers will need for a playoff run.
Last night’s win versus the Giants was not the worst game the Buccaneers played all season, but it does show that more growth is needed before the team will reach its potential. How can the Buccaneers hope to keep pace with the Steelers, Chiefs, and Seahawks if they barely scrape past the Giants?
Tampa Bay’s defense struggled against Daniel Jones, Tom Brady missed wide open passes, and the coaching staff made numerous questionable decisions. This week may have just been the perfect storm, but these issues can’t happen against the best teams in the league.
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The Buccaneers will have to take as much as possible from this game in preparation for the second half of the season. Teams like the Chiefs and the Saints won’t be easy to face in any circumstances, and the Bucs will have to show some improvements before they are ready to excel in those games.