Shortcomings on full display in Bucs loss to Texans Martin Fennelly, The Tampa Tribune, published 28 September 2015 This is what bad football teams do. With a little wind at their back, finally, they suck the air out of hope. Back to the same old mess. Back to who they are until they say different. With a chance to turn the smallest of corners, to have more wins than losses at any point in a season for the first time since November 2012, the Bucs fell back to where they were before New Orleans in losing to the Texans. With a gaping chance to win two games in a row for the first time in two seasons, they did what bad football teams do when they don’t know how to win. Will Lovie Smith’s No Can Do crew ever learn that trick? Yes, the boot of shame belongs to rookie kicker Kyle Brindza, whose 58-yard foot personally took seven points off the scoreboard with missed field goals from 41 and 33 yards and a blown extra point. But there was plenty else. “It’s ironic, but it was promising,” Jameis Winston said of the pass protection after consoling Brinzda. Really, what’s ironic is that the rookie quarterback isn’t the problem. Far from it. He came up short on some third downs, but he’s way down the list of why the Bucs lost Sunday. He’s not bad. It’s the cruddy football team around him. The Bucs could have headed home 2-1 for the biggest home game in quite the while, against the 3-0 Panthers. But there’s so no such thing as a clean getaway for these guys. The coast is never clear. “All the things that losing teams do we did today,” Smith said. Voila! They’re a losing team. J.J. Watt, Houston’s holy terror at sacking quarterbacks, didn’t sack Jameis. No Texan did — and the Bucs still lost. Injured Texans rushing star rusher Arian Foster didn’t play — and the Texas still ran for 186 yards. The Bucs played an 0-2 team and made it 1-2. Houston seemed waiting to get beaten. The Bucs were undeterred. How about 30 first downs for Houston? How about them running 30 more plays than the Bucs? How about the Bucs 1-for-12 on third downs? How about those dropped passes? Two big ones by Mikes Evans and a few more besides. And maybe a truly elite receiver gets both his feet in as opposed to Vincent Jackson, who got one in, no touchdown. How about those Bucs penalties, many at the worst possible time, one of which, defensive holding on D.J. Swearinger, wiped out a first-half takeaway? Where’s the discipline, Lovie? That’s coaching. How about special teams guy Josh Martin trying to pick up and run with a fumbled punt return inside the Houston 10-yard line and never coming up with it? Houston ball. How about Jameis’ one interception, at midfield, which led to a Houston field goal? How about all the missed tackles? And you couldn’t begin to get around Brindza and his misses. All the things that losing teams do they did Sunday. A good team wouldn’t have a chance against it, much less a lousy one. Jameis isn’t the problem. Can he get a little love from his butter-fingered ball catchers? Winston led after the game when he stood up for his kicker and praised his offensive line, which kept hi This is what bad football teams do. With a little wind at their back, finally, they suck the air out of hope. Back to the same old mess. Back to who they are until they say different. This is a bad club until someone does something about it, head coach included. They did nothing Sunday.