After 2 NFC South losses, yeah, it's time to fret about the Bucs If you are inclined to worry, this would be a good time to start. Tampa Bay's reign in the NFC South took a serious hit on Sunday with a 31-26 loss to the Falcons. It was the Bucs' third loss in the last four games, including two against first-place Atlanta. The offense performed admirably without injured receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin - they actually outgained the Falcons 432-394 - but critical turnovers and another shaky effort by the defense doomed the Bucs. Tampa Bay got the ball back with less than a minute on the clock and no timeouts, and drove to the Atlanta 33 but a false start penalty and two incomplete passes ended it. Rakim Jarrett caught a Hail Mary pass on the final play but was clearly out of the back of the end zone. Plays of the day Several coaching decisions - both conservative and aggressive - backfired for the Bucs. At the end of the first half, the Bucs had fourth and 3 from the Atlanta 34 with 1:09 remaining. Considering how Atlanta was abusing Tampa Bay's defense, it was a curious decision to kick a field goal and give the ball back to the Falcons with time on the clock. Sure enough, after Chase McLaughlin kicked a 52-yard field goal, the Falcons drove 49 yards in 1:03 and kicked a field goal of their own. Trailing 24-17 and having driven to the Atlanta 37, the Bucs got funky and tried a flea flicker. Mayfield ended up throwing an interception. As if that wasn't enough, the Bucs tried a fake punt on their next possession and gave the ball back to the Falcons at the Tampa Bay 36. Six plays later, Atlanta scored a touchdown. Game ball Coming into the game, 11 of Mayfield's 18 touchdown passes had gone to Evans and Godwin. It was worth wondering what the Bucs would do in red-zone situations. Question asked, and answered. Cade Otton caught two short TD passes to keep Tampa Bay's hopes alive. A week after a career-high 100 receiving yards against the Ravens, Otton had nine receptions for 81 yards Sunday. Keep an eye on It will be interesting to see where the Tampa Bay offense goes from here. The Bucs did fine when they weren't greedy. They ran the ball exceptionally well in the first quarter, and had success with screen and swing passes. The problem came when they tried to push the ball downfield on deeper passes. Whether they were poor passes/decisions by Mayfield, or poor routes by inexperienced receivers, the long passing game was mostly a disaster. NFC South update Not only are the Bucs trailing the Falcons in the division, but they will lose a head-to-head tiebreaker. Barring an Atlanta collapse or the Bucs pulling some upsets in November and December, it's hard to see a path toward repeating as South champions. A wild card is not out of the picture, but the Bucs have put themselves in a hole with two losses to Atlanta. The Saints and Panthers both lost on the road against AFC opponents Sunday. The season is threatening to circle the drain for both. John Romano, Tampa Bay Times, published 28 October 2024