Tampa, FL – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5) lost to the Baltimore Ravens (5-3) 27-22 at Raymond James Stadium on Thursday. This is the third straight loss for the Bucs, their fifth loss in their fifth loss in the past six games, where the Bucs offense has seemed anemic.
There was a ray of hope in the first quarter. Leonard Fournette broke the Bucs’ improbable drought on a 1-yard scoring run with 6:56 remaining, capping an eight-play, 75-yard drive. Toss in Ryan Succop’s 31-yard field goal later in the period, and the Bucs’ 10 first-quarter points were only five fewer than they totaled in the opening period of their previous seven games.
After that, Tampa didn’t sniff the end zone until the fourth quarter, ending the game with a touchdown pass with :49 seconds left, keeping Brady from goi g two straight games without throwing a Touchdown.
Brady finished the game, throwing 26 of 44 for 325 yards without an interception. He was sacked three times.
“We just didn’t play well enough to win,” said Brady.
“Until you win ball games consistently, and play four quarters consistently, it is going to be dark,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said. “That doesn’t mean we can’t get out of it. We just have a lot of work to do, as coaches and as players.”
The Bucs rushing started off looking good, but then trailed off. They managed 15 rushes for 44 yards ( no, that’s no typo 44 yards) and 1 touchdown in the game.
The Ravens rushed 33 times for 231 yards and 1 touchdowns on the night.
Lamar Jackson threw for 238 yards and a pair of second-half touchdowns for the Ravens.
Jackson completed all eight of his passes after halftime, and the Ravens (5-3) finished with 231 yards after only running the ball seven times in the first two quarters.
“We’re right there, but there’s still room for improvement … the little mistakes we’re still making out there,” the Ravens quarterback added. “We change those and I feel the sky is the limit.”
Tampa is off because Tampa is injured. The Buccaneers played without three starters in the secondary — S Antoine Winfield Jr (concussion) and CBs Carlton Davis (hip) and Sean Murphy-Bunting (quad). WR Russell Gage (hamstring), G Luke Goedeke (foot), TE Cameron Brate (neck) and DL Akiem Hicks (foot) were inactive, too. LB Shaquil Barrett (ankle) limped off the field early in the third quarter and rode to the locker room on a cart.
