Long, losing season lies ahead Gary Shelton, The St.Petersburg Times, published 21 September 2009 Two steps into the graveyard, and the screaming has just begun. Already, you wonder when it will end. Already, you wonder if it will end. That's the frightening part of the ugliest start in years by the Bucs. You cannot help but cover your eyes at what you are seeing, and you cannot help but peek between your fingers to figure out how long it will last. When will these Bucs win a game? Maybe Oct. 18 in that home game against Carolina? Maybe Nov. 15 in Miami? Maybe Dec. 20 in Seattle? Maybe Jan. 3 against Atlanta? When? And furthermore, how? Judging from the way the Bucs looked Sunday afternoon against Buffalo, it's won't be anytime soon. That milk in your refrigerator probably won't last. Those bananas on the shelf won't make it. For that matter, the clothes you are wearing might be out of style. Come to think of it, some of these Bucs players might be, too. This was thorough, and this was convincing. This was Buffalo, 33-20 over the Bucs. If you want to know the truth, these Bills aren't bound for greatness, either, but they still won by 13 points and could have won by at least 13 more. And so you cannot help but wonder: Exactly how long does the thrashing continue? Will the Bucs win four times this year? Will they win two? Will they win any? Admit it: You thought about 0-16, didn't you? Such are the questions that come to mind after watching a second straight drubbing. As results go, this game was a giant cry of "ditto." Remember last week, when the Bucs gave up too many yards rushing, too many big plays and, especially, too many points. Well, it happened again. If you didn't know better, you'd swear Dick Jauron had copied Wade Phillips' homework. In a way, however, this defeat was worse. This time, the loss wasn't to the Dallas Cowboys, America's team. It was the Bills, who some think of as soon-to-be-Canada's team. It was a second straight week of bad defense. And then there was the offense, yesterday's hope. There was a time in the second quarter, for instance, when the Bucs were threatening to climb back into the game. They had first and 10 at the Buffalo 44, but that drive stopped on three incompletions and a punt. The Bucs got the ball back on the 50. Three plays led to 4 yards and another punt. In the second half, the Bucs had three straight possessions when they were behind only 20-14. Those possessions amounted to 28 yards and one first down. In that span, when the lead was there to be taken, quarterback Byron Leftwich was 3 of 7, and three runs gained 1 yard. And just like that, it was over. Of course, who is to say the Bucs could have held a lead? In two games, the defense hasn't suggested as much. In two games, it has given up 67 points and 900 yards. Tell me again: Exactly why did the Bucs change from their Tampa 2? Especially when most players on the roster were drafted to play in it? Especially when the front office didn't bring in more players to fit the new scheme? The players, naturally, say they can see victories coming. Of course they do. I am sure that if you look in the Detroit newspapers last year, the Lions were brimming with confidence after two weeks. And after seven and after 10 and after 13. "Of course I can," said linebacker Barrett Ruud. "If you don't think you can win, you shouldn't be out there." "We've got a great football team,'' said wide receiver Michael Clayton. ''We just have to pull it together." "You have to believe," said cornerback Ronde Barber. "We signed up for 16 weeks." So when does victory arrive? And, if it's all the same, could it use the hurry-up offense? Handicapper Danny Sheridan told the Times Sunday night that, if they played this week, the Bucs would not be favored over any team on their remaining schedule (a slump or injury could change that in the weeks to come). However, he said the odds would be 4-1 that the Bucs would win at least one game this year. Around Tampa Bay, there have been worse teams than this. Honestly, there have. There was Leeman Bennett's '85 team that gave up 69 points in its first two games, and Jon Gruden's '06 team that scored three points in its first two games, and Tony Dungy's '96 team that was outscored by a 46-point margin in its first two. In all, the Bucs have been 0-2 15 times in their 33 years, and only one of those (John McKay's '76 team) has gone winless. So, no, I don't think the Bucs are going to go 0-16. On the other hand, it's hard to see them making the playoffs, either. Of those previous 14 teams, only one (Dungy's '98 team) won more than six games. The average is a little more than four. The sooner the Bucs find one of them, the better.