Earlier in the season the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost a prove-it game to the Philadelphia Eagles, but it turns out they can't even measure up against teams that have long been eliminated from the playoffs.
Bucs fans have watched the team lay its fair share of eggs this season, but the one the team dropped on Sunday might be the most rotten of the bunch. In a must-win game against a Dolphins team with nothing to play for that was starting a rookie quarterback and missing key players, the Bucs were throughouly outplayed and outcoached.
It was truly embarassing, not just because of what was at stake and how little the team seemed to care, but because we should have all seen it coming.
Anyone who had forgotten the cacophony of chaos the Bucs have endured this season, Sunday's loss was a crash course that played all the hits. Tampa Bay was once again the master of its own demise thanks to poor coaching, boneheaded mistakes, key players making brutal errors, and special teams rearing its ugly head at the worst time.
Even hallmarks of this season like an All-Pro player being injured and the game coming down to the Bucs needing to make something happen on a final drive were present. It was truly a nightmareish greatest hits that served as a painful reminder of just how big of a waste this season has been.
Tampa Bay is 7-1 in games where Baker Mayfield doesn't throw an interception, but are 0-7 when he throws at least one. Guess what he did in Sunday's loss to Miami?
Once again the offense sputtered out and stalled in the middle of the freeway. The Bucs carved through Miami's defense like a hot knife through butter on the first offensive drive but didn't score another touchdown until there was under two minutes left in the game.
Simliarly, the defense failed to show up once again in the worst possible way. Since Week 9 the Bucs defense ranks dead last in the league in passing yards allowed, and ranks 28th in total points. As if that's not bad enough, Todd Bowles' unit is 29th in total yards allowed per game, something we saw a Miami offense with Quinn Ewers exploit, even without Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle -- the latter of whom missed most of the game after suffering an injury in the first quarter.
Even special teams, which was a nightmare earlier in the season, reminded us all of just how unhelpful it can me. Chase McLaughlin's kick before halftime was blocked, something that kept the Bucs from cutting the Dolphins' lead to single-digits before getting the ball to start the second half.
That right there is the biggest problem of all. Tampa Bay faced a must-win game against a team that had nothing to play for and got stuffed into a locker. There's still a chance the team can make the playoffs with a win over Carolina next Sunday, but at this point it's worth wondering if that's even worth it.