Season May Have “Collapsed” In Span Of Minutes
December 6th, 2010
It was there. The Bucs had it.
It was the first win over a winning team this season. It was staying alive for a division title. It was perhaps a virtual playoff berth.
Then… poof! It all blew up in the time it took for Joe to go buy a beer.
Veteran sports columnist Gary Shelton of the St. Petersburg Times documents how the Bucs lost a whole lot more than a game in a span of a handful of minutes Sunday.
Then they collapsed.
And in the rubble, everything the Bucs seemed ready to claim was squandered.
The Bucs blew their lead, and their opportunity, and their validation, in a 28-24 game that must have felt like a stake to the heart. From here, the season looks uphill again. From here, the playoffs seem far away. From here, the Bucs still look like a team that has improved, but not nearly enough.
This one still stings Joe. Even through the fog of a Monday morning and the requisite 22-ounce Dunkin Donuts coffee and 16-ounce bottle of Diet Mountain Dew, Joe needs more chemicals to ingest to salve the inflammation of this ugly, ugly fourth quarter collapse.
Something tells Joe he will still be hurting over this throughout the offseason.
December 6th, 2010 at 11:22 am
My goodness. They did show their youth, inexperience and lack of prowess in the final minutes, but let’s not throw in the towel yet on our future. This post makes good points we should consdier, but let’s not all bail on the band wagon yet.
December 6th, 2010 at 11:36 am
We will know the character of this team and coaches with how we play the final four games. But I think we know already, I mean, weren’t we only ‘predicted’ to win 3-4 games?
December 6th, 2010 at 11:39 am
Even if they miss the playoffs (which seems likely at this point), we still could be looking at 10 and 6.
Nobody and I mean NOBODY would complain about that!
December 6th, 2010 at 11:40 am
Funny……..Shelton only picked them to win 6 this year.
December 6th, 2010 at 11:41 am
The title should be: Season “May Have” Collapsed In Span Of Minutes
There was a collapse in the span of minutes to lose the game. The question is did it collapse the season. It’s the “May Have” that is in question, as we don’t know if it did or not.
December 6th, 2010 at 11:47 am
Not only too long (Joe doesn’t do two-deck heds) but Shelton infers the season collapsed.
December 6th, 2010 at 11:55 am
Yep… so Shelton’s title would be Season Collapsed, this title should be Season “may have” Collapsed. The question “may have” is the interjection here.
December 6th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
BamBam:
Shelton did not write “may have collapsed.” To quote Shelton as writing that would be inaccurate.
He did use the word “collapsed” which Joe used in the headline.
December 6th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
Well as if it wasnt hard enough to lose to the Falcons..somebody got my credit card number and went on a spending spree in Atlanta this weekend..Now I really hate them…
December 6th, 2010 at 12:09 pm
Pack it up and go home boys…. Shelton inferred the season collapsed already. He didn’t say anything at the end of that about “the Bucs need to find a way to close out the season”. It’s over and done, time to go home. That’s ok, the last 4 games of the season are pointless anyway….. sheesh, and people want an 18 game season? We’re fine with 12.
December 6th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
Funny thing is…we have a legit shot of going into the last week 10-5. We can(and should) beat the Skins and Seattle/Detroit at home. If we are heading into New Orleans with a 10-5 record, there is a great chance that the Saints/Bucs game will be a “win and in” game. We did, in fact, win that game last year.
I hate to lose this game…we should have won, but good Lord, can we all sit back and get a little perspective here?? Season down the drain? Start lookingn towards next year? We have to beat 3 mediocre teams which we have done quite well thus far.