There's no way to sugarcoat this Bucs loss, especially the injuries Persistence is one thing. Recklessness is another. Down by 23 points late in the fourth quarter, the Bucs refused to give up. They also refused to pull their starters from the field. And in the final minute of what would be a 41-31 loss to the Ravens, Chris Godwin suffered a devastating ankle dislocation that will end his season and could end Tampa Bay's postseason hopes. Fellow receiver Mike Evans left the game in the first half with a hamstring injury and now the Bucs might be forced to play their most important game of the regular season Sunday against division rival Atlanta without two of their biggest stars. Lamar Jackson threw for 281 yards and five touchdowns while Derrick Henry rushed for 169 yards on 15 carries as the Bucs collapsed following a strong first quarter. The outcome wasn't terribly surprising since the Ravens had won four in a row and look like a top Super Bowl contender out of the AFC, but the details are pretty concerning. The Tampa Bay defense is broken, and getting worse. Too many injuries and too few answers on pass defense could end up haunting the Bucs this season. Play of the day For a split second, it appeared the Bucs had taken a 17-7 lead midway through the second quarter. On second down from the 24, Mayfield hit Mike Evans in stride in the back of the end zone but as cornerback Brandon Stephens wrapped up his legs and pulled him to the ground, Evans dropped the ball. Even worse, Evans began rolling on the ground in pain, holding his already-tender right hamstring. Three plays later, Mayfield threw his first interception of the night in the end zone. At the time Evans left the field, Mayfield was 10-of-12 passing for 118 yards and one touchdown. He went 1-of-4 for 15 yards and two interceptions the rest of the first half. Game ball Play an ugly game, hand out an ugly ball. Tristan Wirfs was called for holding late in the first quarter, which negated a touchdown pass to Chris Godwin. Why single that out for a game ball? Because it was the first time Wirfs had been called for holding since Dec. 25, 2022. That means the Bucs left tackle had played more than 1,700 snaps across parts of 26 games without being whistled for holding. Sorry, but that's deserving of a slow hand clap. Keep an eye on Once again, the Bucs are in serious trouble with injuries in the secondary. After running out of cornerbacks in Week 1, the Bucs are thin again. Starting corner Jamel Dean went on injured reserve Monday afternoon with a hamstring injury, which means he will miss a minimum of four games. He was replaced by undrafted rookie free agent Tyrek Funderburk making his NFL start. Then, in the second quarter, safety Tykee Smith left the field with a possible concussion. The Bucs came into the week having given up the fourth-most yards per game through the air (252.3) and now will be scrambling to put experienced defensive backs on the field. NFC South update The Bucs are doing all the heavy lifting in the division. Take away Tampa Bay's 3-2 record outside the division, and the rest of the South is 3-10 in non-division games. With wins against Detroit and Washington, the Bucs could have some tiebreaker advantages in the NFC when it comes to wild-card possibilities. John Romano, Tampa Bay Times, published 22 October 2024