Tampa Bay Buccaneers Must Start From Scratch After Another Blowout Loss

By Ed Morgans @writered21 on October 12, 2014

At 1-5 and having been completely embarrassed for the second time this season, it’s time for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to seriously reassess their future. The Bucs spent significant money on free agents in the offseason and appeared to do okay in the NFL Draft, especially with the selection of wide receiver Mike Evans out of Texas A&M.

But whatever head coach Lovie Smith and his coaching staff are doing to prepare the Bucs for games isn’t working. Only a minor miracle of a comeback late at the Pittsburgh Steelers has prevented Tampa Bay from being 0-6 this season. The Buccaneers were a national laughingstock after a 56-14 loss in a visit to the Atlanta Falcons a couple weeks ago, a game during which Tampa Bay was down 56-0 at one point.

On Sunday, it looked like Tampa Bay was headed for that fate again, as Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco threw five touchdowns in the game’s opening 20 minutes as the Ravens took a 35-0 lead in Tampa and rolled to a 48-17 win. The only reason the score wasn’t far worse is because the Ravens called off the dogs somewhat offensively. It was 38-0 Ravens before the Buccaneers even mustered a field goal to get on board.

During this salary cap and parity era, there’s no reason that an NFL team should suffer multiple losses such as this in a season. For them to come in such a quick fashion makes it even worse. Running back Doug Martin looks like a shell of his former self, finishing today with 45 yards on just 11 carries, but take out his long rush of 19 and his other 10 attempts averaged less than three yards per carry. Maybe Martin still isn’t 100 percent, but he’s nothing close to his level before this season.

Tampa Bay must also decide once and for all if Mike Glennon (24-for-44, 314 yards, two touchdowns, one interception) is the answer at quarterback. His body of work might not be enough yet for the Buccaneers to know the answer, but he has to get the reps and game experience the rest of the season so an educated decision can be made.

But even with an effective Martin, weapons at wide receiver in Evans and Vincent Jackson, and if Glennon develops at quarterback, the Tampa Bay defense must evolve. The Buccaneers entered play Sunday 30th in the NFL in pass defense, and that surely won’t get any better after Flacco torched them for five touchdowns in a little more than a quarter. Tampa Bay gave up 344 through the air in the blowout loss at Atlanta, and even in the win at Pittsburgh, Ben Roethlisberger threw for 314 yards. The Ravens threw for 306 today.

There are a myriad of problems facing Tampa Bay right now, and at the end of the season, a decision will have to be made if Smith is the man to lead their rebuild. But no amount of work in improving the offense will matter if the pass defense can’t save the Buccaneers from being completely embarrassed against teams that aren’t even at an elite status in the NFL.

Ed Morgans is an ACC Basketball Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @writered21 and add him to your network on Google.