No Magic This Time

The Bucs have kind of had a thing for magic this season. They have come from behind to win games in overtime. They have come back from big deficit's. Unfortunately, there was no magic left over. The Bucs failed in overtime, and a chip shot field goal led them to their second straight loss. With the loss, their playoff chances started to fade a little faster. Atlanta and Dallas won, tying them with the Bucs at 9-5. If the season were to end today, the Bucs would be out of the playoffs. I recently said that no team should have to rely on another to get them into the playoffs. Ironically enough, the Bucs now have to rely on 4 teams in order to find a spot in the playoffs. This is one of the worst positions the Bucs could be in right now. They have to win their final two games, and they need help from some other teams in order to find themselves in the playoffs. As if things couldn't get worse, it was confirmed yesterday that Monte Kiffin will leave the Bucs at the end of the season to join his son Lane at Tennessee. Great timing, right? Let's look at what made this game what it was: Not Enough OffenseBrian Griese was the man that propelled the Bucs in the early stages of the season. In fact, he led them to a victory over Atlanta in Week 2. If anyone could beat Atlanta, it would be him, right? Let's get this straight. Griese had a good game. He threw for 269 yards and a score. You really couldn't have asked for much more. Unfortunately, they needed more. Cadillac Williams had a big day, as did Antonio Bryant. Their big days simply weren't enough. The Bucs had 19 first downs, but were only 3-for-14 on third downs. They punted the ball 9 times, and committed 11 penalties. Griese was sacked 4 times, and threw an interception. With the turnovers and failed opportunities, it's kind of hard for the offense to get going. 11 of the Buccaneers 13 drives either ended with a punt, interception, or missed field goal. The Bucs gained 99 total rushing yards, and have still not had a 100-yard rusher since Earnest Graham went on the injured reserve. Brian Griese did what he could to lead this team, but he too, is out of magic. Still Can't Stop the RunOnce again, the Buccaneers gave up a rushing touchdown and a 100-yard rusher. Michael Turner blew by the Bucs for 152 yards and a touchdown. In all, the Falcons ran for 175 yards. This is statistically a vast improvement from last week, but it still hurts. Had the Bucs held Turner in check, this would have been a different game. Without Turner's touchdown, the Falcons would have been down 10-3. If not for Turner's big run in overtime, the drive might have ended, and the Bucs could have gotten the ball back. The defense couldn't stop Turner when it mattered, which ultimately proved the difference in the outcome. Matt Ryan threw 2 interceptions, and a punt was blocked, so it is hard to see how the Bucs lost. Turner's big game kept several Atlanta drives alive, eating away time on the clock. As mentioned, it was Turner who kept the Falcons alive in overtime. The Bucs, who had been so good against the run, have now lost two straight games because of it. Looking BetterAfter last week, the Bucs defense had a lot to prove. When you count out the running game, they did their job. The Bucs held the Falcons to only 13 points in over 4 quarters of play. Ronde Barber and Aqib Talib both grabbed interceptions. Tanard Jackson sacked Matt Ryan. He also forced a fumble, as did Jermaine Phillips and Kevin Carter. Phillip Buchanon recovered one of the fumbles. Brian Clark even blocked a punt. Ultimately, the defense looked good. Matt Ryan was held to only 206 yards passing, putting together a 57.5 quarterback rating. The Bucs held the Falcons to 6 third down conversions, and forced them to punt 6 times. 9 of the Falcons 13 drives ended with a punt or a turnover. The loss may not look good, but the defense really did. Had they controlled the running game better, this game probably would have turned out different. Game Notes: Warrick Dunn became the 6th player in NFL history to have 10,000 rushing yards and 500 receptions in his career. Ronde Barber has 4 interceptions in the past 4 games. His 37 career interceptions is the most in team history. Chris Hovan missed Sunday's game, marking the first time he has missed a game in his career. He had played in 45 straight games since joining the Bucs in 2005. The Bucs gave up a rushing touchdown and a 100-yard rusher in consecutive games for the first time this season. Brian Clark blocked his first punt of the season. The Bucs lost back-to-back games for the first time this season. With their playoff chances hanging in the balance, the Bucs desperately need to win their next two games. New York, Carolina, Dallas and Atlanta are the teams that will help decide the Bucs fate this season. New York needs to beat Carolina to wrap up the top seed in the playoffs. With a Carolina loss, the Bucs can move up a game in the division. With losses by Atlanta and Dallas, the Bucs will be the top team in the wild card race. The Bucs can get one of two wild card spots, which are currently occupied by the latter two teams. Last season, the Bucs had already secured a playoff spot, and they rested their starters for the final two games of the season, losing both. This year, they have to win their remaining games. They should have it easy, facing San Diego and Oakland as the season ends. If they lose one game, their playoff chances are more than likely shot. Monte Kiffin has a minimum of two games left with the team. If he wants to be around longer, than he needs to get his defense to the top of its game if he wants the season to continue beyond Oakland.