For the second straight game, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers(6-3) lose on the road, and this time against a very beatable opponent in the Washington Football Team(3-6) as the world champions fell to Washington 29-19 on Sunday at FedExField.
After the game, Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians was not very happy about the team’s performance following their bye week.
“That display was very reminiscent of the last one,” Arians said. “It’s baffling to me after the week of practice I watched these guys have that we could play that poorly. We played with enough passion and energy for about eight or nine minutes to win games in this league. We got to show up on Sundays. We are doing one hell of a job on Monday through Friday, but we are not showing up on Sundays.”
Tampa Bay never led in this one and trailed 13-0 in the second quarter, and Washington would take a 16-6 lead into halftime. The Buccaneers would draw closer in the third when Tom Brady connected with Cameron Brate on a six-yard touchdown reception to cut the lead to 16-13, but Washington responded with an eight-play, 71-yard drive that ended with Antonio Gibson’s one-yard touchdown run.
After the Buccaneers cut Washington’s lead to 23-19 in the fourth, Washington would go on a 19-play, 80-yard drive that took 10;29 and concluded with Gibson scoring again from one yard out to put the game away.
Washington’s 19-play, 80-yard, 10:29 fourth-quarter touchdown drive was the longest fourth-quarter drive in Washington franchise history in terms of plays since 2001. In addition, per Stathead, it was the longest fourth quarter drive in terms of time of possession resulting in a touchdown in the NFL since 2001.
“That’s very disappointing for us,” Arians said about Washington’s game-clinching drive. “We pride ourselves on defense, and we lost too many games and given up the lead too many times in the fourth quarter.”
Ir wasn’t a good game for Tampa’s defense and wasn’t a good game for Brady, who threw two interceptions on consecutive possessions in the first quarter, which led to 10 Washington points.
It was the first time Brady has been intercepted twice in the first quarter of a game since 2012.
“It has nothing to do with his receivers; it is on him,” Arians said about Brady’s interceptions.
Brady, who threw for 220 yards with two touchdowns, two interceptions, added on the loss: “We just never really played on our terms. We played from behind the whole game. They played a good game. They had a good plan.”
This was a big win for Washington as they got revenge after losing to Tampa Bay in the playoffs last season. However, Washington’s star DE Chase Young did leave in the first half with an apparent knee injury.
“We know it’s a knee, there’s some concern,” Washington head coach Ron Rivera said postgame about Young. “We’ll have him evaluated tomorrow, potentially an ACL but we’re not sure yet. Once we get the evaluation, we’ll know for sure.”
Regarding the Buccaneers, they’re struggling right now.
Simply put, the Buccaneers have to start playing better if they want to turn things around.
Best of the Rest:
-Washington QB Taylor Heinicke completed 26-of-32 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown, and a 110.4 passer rating. He also rushed three times for 15 yards.
-Washington defeated Brady for the first time since September 28, 2003. It is the second time the team has ever beaten the three-time NFL MVP.
-Buccaneers DT Vita Vea was carted off in the fourth was apparent knee injury.
