Ira Kaufman’s 10 Takeaways From The Bucs-Giants Debacle; Presented By Bill Currie Ford
September 22nd, 2019
“The Sage” delivers in his thrice-weekly column.
BY IRA KAUFMAN
JoeBucsFan.com columnist
Presented By
Click through and shop now online at BillCurrieFord.com
Come on back, Ronde.
On a day the Bucs honored a star from yesteryear, Tampa Bay’s current defense pushed the rerun button, looking like the sieve on display the previous two seasons at Raymond James Stadium.
There were plenty of culprits, with rookie kicker Matt Gay front and center, or rather, wide right, but the Giants won Sunday because rookie quarterback Daniel Jones shredded Tampa Bay’s defense — despite the absence of Saquon Barkley.
All four of New York’s TD drives covered at least 75 yards and monster games by Mike Evans and Shaq Barrett weren’t enough as the Bucs fell to 0-2 at home before beginning a treacherous road stretch.
It’s difficult to overestimate how demoralizing this setback was to Buc fans who were starting to believe in this team. A Todd Bowles scheme that had played so well for 10 quarters had no answers for Eli Manning’s replacement as Jones threw for 213 yards in the second half.
If this Buc season falls apart, supporters will point to the afternoon of Sept. 22 as the dispiriting turning point. Here’s how it all went down, literally and figuratively:
*Would Gay have made that decisive kick from 29 yards out, instead of pushing it right from 34 yards away?. Probably, but let’s not get distracted by a deliberate delay-of-game penalty ordered by Bruce Arians. There are no excuses for Gay, who had already missed one PAT and had another blocked. The snap was good, the hold was solid and he misfired. “I didn’t make good enough contact to put it through,” said Gay. Somewhere, Matt Bryant is smiling.
*The Broncos aren’t smiling. Not only are they 0-3, but the Broncos were dumb enough to let Barrett hit free agency. Through three weeks, he’s been Tampa Bay’s most dynamic player with 8 sacks. As a team, Denver has zero sacks, the only NFL club without a takedown. Sunday’s effort was extraordinary as Barrett dropped Jones four times, forced two fumbles and added 3 tackles for loss and 3 QB hits. What an addition.
*Gerald McCoy update: Two tackles Sunday at Arizona in Carolina’s victory. Still looking for his first sack as a Panther.
*I had a chance to mingle for a few minutes before halftime with dozens of former Buc players and executives who turned out for Ronde Barber’s Ring of Honor ceremony. A hand reached out and I realized the hulking figure in front of me was Josh Freeman, looking happy and fit.
Freeman said he lives in Kansas City and still follows his alma mater at Kansas State, pointing out the Wildcats are 3-0.
*With Barkley wearing a boot on his right ankle and needing crutches for support, Tampa Bay’s 18-point halftime lead appeared secure. Then Jones and tight end Evan Engram hooked up for a 75-yard TD on the first snap of the third quarter. “Coach dialed my number and I just had to come out and be a spark for the team,” said Engram, who was helped by a blown coverage and sloppy tackling.
* Opening line for the Bucs-Rams game next week at the Coliseum: Los Angeles by 9 1-2.
* After two quiet games, Evans busted out with 9 catches for 190 yards and 3 TDs. The Giants were foolish enough to afford him single coverage and Evans was targeted on 15 of Jameis Winston’s 37 throws. His 44-yard reception in the final minute should have been the play of the game. Instead, it’s a footnote.
*Also lost in the flood was a solid game by Ronald Jones, who ran for 80 yards and added a 41-yard reception. On the season, Jones is averaging 5.3 yards per carry, a far cry from the tentative rookie who was repeatedly stopped behind the line of scrimmage last fall.
*Give credit to Eli Manning’s successor, who remained poised in the face of Barrett’s domination up front. “He can run and he can throw,” said Vernon Hargreaves. “He knows what he’s doing. He’s going to be very good for a very long time.”
*Since Arians arrived, he has talked about the art of finishing, closing out games in crunch time. You could say it’s been a work in progress. The Bucs own a 45-25 scoring advantage through the opening half but have been outscored 32-14 in the third quarter and 20-9 in the fourth quarter. Until they finish what they’ve started, these Bucs seem destined to take one step up, two steps back.
Hurry and see all the great September offers. Click on through, and don’t forget the nationwide lifetime warranty on new and preowned vehicles.
JOIN IRA SUNDAY AT THE OLDSMAR BUFFALO WILD WINGS FOR THE BUCS-RAMS GAME.
IT’S 4 P.M. KICKOFF. ARRIVE EARLY. GREAT FUN WITH BUCS FANS AND “THE SAGE.”
September 22nd, 2019 at 10:25 pm
Sorry Ira but I don’t think that this is a “turning point” or a moment where we well apart simply because it’s week 3 and we were 1-1 beforehand. There’s no change there, we could be a good team or a bad team, and it looks like it’s the second route, again.
September 22nd, 2019 at 10:26 pm
It was almost “lovie smith” bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2019 Will reveal answers to the sheep, that the “real” fans already know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 22nd, 2019 at 10:29 pm
Arians is full of it! He needs to take his golf cart and ride out of town. Licht needs to get a job he is good at like maybe a food taster he is way to fat and stupid to be a GM. And lastly the Glazer clan needs to sell the Bucs! Then if all three of those things happen we may get good again.
September 22nd, 2019 at 10:30 pm
any way we can get the second kicker on the panthers roster? Trade a first for him. 2021 that is, need 2020 for fromm.
September 22nd, 2019 at 10:34 pm
I was very wary of the Arians hire and he does nothing to change my mind. Licht brought him to save his own job. Dummy Glazers couldn’t even see that for what it was.
Arians continues to make rookie HC mistakes. Maybe he’s too busy with social justice warrior coaching staff.
September 22nd, 2019 at 10:38 pm
So much for better coaching…
What a waste of time money and energy
September 22nd, 2019 at 10:40 pm
22-3 in the 2nd half…..don’t think you need 10 takeaways for that….
September 22nd, 2019 at 10:41 pm
2019 Will reveal answers to the sheep, that the “real” fans already know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please explain what the “Real Fans” already know??
Jameis sucks? Licht is a fool? Glazers are horrible owners?
September 22nd, 2019 at 10:43 pm
I am still in shock. How do we score 31 points and lose to a team with their best player hurt and a rookie QB making his first start ever. Oh yeah all of this AT HOME!!!!! Is getting harder and harder to keep paying for these tickets and to go get taunted by a bunch of NY aholes. I’ve pretty much have seen it all but this might actually be the worst, just unbelievable. I can’t even believe it anymore this has to be a really crappy dream.
Offense plays well, we run the ball well, get 4 sacks from 1 freaking player, our QB throws for 380 and 3 TDs, we have a WR go crazy, we hit deep ball after deep ball AND we win the TO battle, yet still besides all of that we lose AT HOME!!!!!!!??
September 22nd, 2019 at 10:46 pm
Arians is all talk an NO biscuit!!!
September 22nd, 2019 at 10:46 pm
I’m not overlooking the deliberate delay of game penalty. Absolutely ridiculous. If you’ve got to make that kind of choice as a head coach then you have an unreliable kicker. He’s not a punter, he’s a kicker. If he can’t make it from inside 30 yards he needs to find another profession. And that kind of coaching is just coddling the weakness of a player and doesn’t represent accountability in the slightest.
September 22nd, 2019 at 10:48 pm
So riddle me this Batman. Why aren’t RoJo and Jameis’s security blanket Cam Brate featured more? It’s not like Barber and OJ are setting the stage on fire?
Give Brate the 7 targets and Jones the 25 carries this isn’t rocket science.
At what point are we to discuss the shalacking, the beat down, the 20 or so hits Jameis took AGAIN today?
The secondary is an easy fix, trade or cut VH3 and MJ Stewart. We can live with Davis’s holding penalties but the other two are lawn chairs out there, I just don’t get it.
Edwards and Whitehead are playing great even though Edwards messed up on the game winning play, chit happens especially your second nfl game. But mj Stewart and vh3 have no excuses and to think we could have drafted Donte Jackson.
Oh btw Winston outplayed Rodgers statistically today except for the fact the Rodgers and I quote” I can’t remember my jersey ever being this clean after a game”. *Sigh* of course Rodgers got the win. Fml
September 22nd, 2019 at 10:50 pm
Nice to hear Freeman is doing well. Gay has got to go. The only thing that will make Bucs fans have any sort of accountability in life is to cut him and hire someone else. This is a great teaching point for a moral story. Coach takes a deliberate penalty, then puts it where you want, and you miss!? Nope, you gotta go. Jason Licht has to as well. Accountability in this or any organization is important. One mistake won’t cost you your job, but the fans were told Gay struggled on shorter kicks and still gets the nod over Santos. The fans were told this and what does he do!?, misses a short FG/XP not once but twice. Inexcusable, unacceptable! This is a Bucs Life.
September 22nd, 2019 at 10:53 pm
This was one of the most demoralizing losses I can recall. I’m sick about it. Despite my preseason prediction of 5-11, I live and die with every game. Not sure I can keep at this.
September 22nd, 2019 at 10:55 pm
Because I apparently like pain, I rewatched the last pass to Evans just now. A good throw from Jameis is an EASY TD. He underthrew the ball pretty badly and ME slowed down and adjusted to the ball. Should have been an easy game winning TD. FMl
September 22nd, 2019 at 10:56 pm
Jameis did play well today…..
We were let down by poor playcalling in the red zone…..missed kicks and blown coverages..
September 22nd, 2019 at 10:56 pm
Bucs are 9.5 point underdogs to LA? That number will grow. I was one of those fans who bought into Bruce and Bowles but it looks like its gonna be another 5 win type of season where the Bucs will draft in the top 5 or 6 again.
September 22nd, 2019 at 11:06 pm
Giants made the necessary adjustments at half time and the Bucs did nothing about it…
Either Leftwich could not adapt, J could not adapt or a combination of both being unable to adapt…
28 points in the first half and then just shut it down..
Reminds me of the 28-3 SB (Falcons/Patriots) and the Falcons got roasted… BUT that was against the Patriots…
22 points in 2nd half surrendered to a bad team with a rookie… And only 3 points by Bucs..
The Cardinals may be the next ‘given win’ for the Bucs which could be 1-7 by then…
September 22nd, 2019 at 11:07 pm
Resign Barrett now. Tonight. Please.
September 22nd, 2019 at 11:13 pm
6-10
September 22nd, 2019 at 11:18 pm
We have not reached a turning point. We don’t have that step on your throat mentality. We can’t seem to finish and put games out of reach. Those redzone FG’s should’ve been TD’s. This team has shown they can’t take their foot off the pedal without it coming back to bite them on the @ss.
September 22nd, 2019 at 11:23 pm
Rewatch the final Evans catch. He beat the corner and was behind the safety. A good ball from JW is an easy game ending TD.
September 22nd, 2019 at 11:27 pm
If the Bucs are 1-7 by the time they play the Cardinals, by the end of the season they will like be in a good position in the draft to draft Fromm.
September 22nd, 2019 at 11:30 pm
Saints lose next week. Bucs beat the rams. We are 2-2 tie in division. You hater go and eat cereal and go to bed. If you don’t like the Bucs be a browns fan.
September 22nd, 2019 at 11:48 pm
Snookman
It’s just some sick, convoluted way for him to blame Lovie even tho he hasn’t been here since 2015.
September 22nd, 2019 at 11:50 pm
Anyway, it sucks the kicker missed but I am just way more heated with Arians and staff than I am with the rookie kicker.
September 23rd, 2019 at 12:02 am
Asdf, that was a 55 yard throw. Most qbs can’t even throw it that far. Was he suppised to throw it 65?
September 23rd, 2019 at 12:04 am
No more gay jokes, fire the SOB!
September 23rd, 2019 at 12:26 am
Eric
He was supposed to throw 8 passes for 8 TDs and 800 yards plus 68 points. Don’t you know?
September 23rd, 2019 at 12:43 am
JW certainly has the arm strength to throw it that far and he can get the ball out quicker as well. There was a TD to be had with a good throw there.
September 23rd, 2019 at 12:48 am
Ira… I can’t believe you are giving Arians a pass for the 5-yard delay of game penalty that the Bucs took at the end of the game. I mean, don’t get me wrong… Gay has to be able to make a 34-yard field goal to win the game in that situation. HOWEVER, I cannot think of a better way to set up for failure your rookie kicker (who never had to kick a game-winning field goal in college), then to take a 5-yard delay of game penalty, and then follow it up with a 2-yard loss by Jameis trying to center the ball. The kick literally went from a 27-yard field goal to a 34-yard field goal! With all due respect, that is inexcusable coaching.
September 23rd, 2019 at 1:41 am
2019 WILL ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THE REAL FANS ALREADY KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 23rd, 2019 at 2:48 am
“The Bucs own a 45-25 scoring advantage through the opening half but have been outscored 32-14 in the third quarter and 20-9 in the fourth quarter.”
FSU flu….
September 23rd, 2019 at 4:00 am
ASDF,
You’re right about the play.
That’s why there’s so much talk about accuracy.
I understand completely that many fans look at that play and say, “it was a perfect throw”. It was a completion. The better throw would have resulted in a TD. And, no need to put Gay on the field.
September 23rd, 2019 at 4:03 am
Buc in Nashville,
Spot on! The 3rd qtr blues.
I’m glad someone else notices the trend line.
September 23rd, 2019 at 6:04 am
Tye- You hit the nail on the head:One team made halftime adjustments, the other did not.
Missing that FG sucked but we shouldn’t have been in that position to begin with. With a 28-10 lead at the half, I literally uttered the phrase, “Looks like the Bucs might actually run away with this game!” Shame on me!
Vernon Hargreaves, for all the good plays, got exposed badly in this game. Jones was just looking for the Shepard/VHIII match-up.
I’d also like to know why we are so effing pass-happy when the run game is working?!
September 23rd, 2019 at 7:16 am
Hell, the road trip may be a blessing, after all, we are undefeated on the road! 5 games left at Ray Jay is a good thing.
September 23rd, 2019 at 8:13 am
Fromm , a competent new gm and a real coach
September 23rd, 2019 at 8:24 am
Crap like that $#!T show yesterday reinforces to me that dropping my season tickets was the best thing to do! I have not even bought any merchandise since as well! No more financial support frim this Bucs fan! Sad! Sad Sad!!!
September 23rd, 2019 at 8:32 am
Bowles failed to make adjustments. I think the should have shown more 8 man coverages as the blitz wasn’t fazing Jones when it missed
September 23rd, 2019 at 9:07 am
Not all the hits Jameis Happy Feet Winston took were the fault of the O line. He held the ball to long in the second half. He choked!! 9-15 a 117 yards, NO TD’s, and ONE costly pick. Those are not franchise QB numbers! Meanwhile a rookie on the road getting his first start shredded all Jason Licht’s drafted DB’s, and ran for a score up the middle past his first round DT Vita Vea. We’ll suck until Licht is gone.
September 23rd, 2019 at 10:23 am
Sadly, this is a bad team (right now). Bad teams lose winnable football games and that game yesterday was winnable.
Defense looked asleep in the 2nd half
The offense (did the play calling get conservative or did JW choke it away after a bad turnover?) did nothing.
WHY, oh WHY can we not get a kicker in TB?!
September 24th, 2019 at 7:16 am
We continue to earn the title GOOBERVILLE as fans who turn on their team after a loss.
“losing to a rookie QB with best player out” that’s a recipe for disaster. that’s a team with nothing to lose, playing balls out, with a QB that NOT ONE TEAM has tape on! And why is anyone surprised in this new NFL with young QB who ball out? it happens all the time, these QBs are well prepared for their NFL life.
There is only one reason we lost the game, the kicker pushed the ball too far right, it missed by a foot or two. Sure the penalty and all that LOOK to be the culprit, but they are not, they are excuses. The kicker missed, and he missed an extra point. But he’s dead accurate on 50+ kicks. so go out and get a 2nd kicker, no backup spot on the roster is as important as a player that could win you a game. Just relax everyone, we can actually run the ball this year, Jameis is proving each week he’s getting better, we have 2 stud WR, lets see how things go over the next couple of weeks