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12/01 15:10 CST Despite win over Cardinals, Buccaneers have to play better to
be a playoff team
Despite win over Cardinals, Buccaneers have to play better to be a playoff team
By ROB MAADDI
AP Pro Football Writer
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) --- The offense was sluggish. The defense struggled against
the pass again. Special teams gave up another long kickoff return.
Still, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won a game to end a three-game losing streak.
They were lucky they were facing the lowly Arizona Cardinals.
The Bucs have to play better to be a playoff team.
After a 17-3 lead dissolved, the defense held on for a 20-17 victory on Sunday.
It was Tampa Bay's first victory in a month and just the second in six games.
At 7-5, the four-time defending NFC South champions have a half-game lead over
the Panthers (7-6) following Carolina's stunning 31-28 upset over the Los
Angeles Rams.
The Buccaneers and Panthers will meet twice in the final three weeks to
determine the division winner.
First, Tampa Bay hosts New Orleans (2-10) and Atlanta (4-8) in a four-day span.
The Bucs beat both division rivals already on the road and can't afford a
letdown.
"If you look at it theoretically, we're in control of our own destiny,"
quarterback Baker Mayfield said. "But, if we continue that mindset of a playoff
push, things should take care of itself. But, it's not going to be easy --- we
truly have to take it one game at a time. Now that we have division opponents,
it's even more important. Just have to get healthy and continue to prepare like
we did and go from there."
The Buccaneers got key players back against Arizona and more help could be on
the way. Running back Bucky Irving returned after missing seven games and
provided a spark with 81 scrimmage yards and a touchdown run. Left guard Ben
Bredeson started after missing two games, boosting the offensive line. Edge
rusher Haason Reddick played his first game in six weeks and helped the defense
generate more pressure. Cornerback Jamel Dean returned to the lineup and
allowed just one catch.
Wide receivers Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan and defensive lineman Calijah
Kancey remain out but could return before the season ends.
"We are getting healthy at the right time of the season," linebacker Lavonte
David said. "We're going to need everybody to make this stretch run that we
want to make. Hopefully we get more guys back as the season goes on and see
where it goes."
The Buccaneers have impressive wins on the road against Houston and Seattle and
beat San Francisco at home. But they lost to five other teams with winning
records: Philadelphia, Detroit, New England, Buffalo and the Rams. The Panthers
are the only team they face the rest of the season that currently is above .500.
"We've got to keep stacking," Reddick said. "We know what it felt like when we
lost those three games in (a) row. We finally were able to get a (win), to see
the energy back, to see the happiness. If we want it to continue to be like
this, then we've got to continue to play better ball."
What's working Ball security. The Bucs had no turnovers for the seventh time this season. They're 6-1 in those games. Overall, they've turned it over nine times and have 18 takeaways. What needs help Offense. The Bucs managed only 279 yards and 20 points against a defense that came in 19th in yards allowed and 24th in scoring. Stock up Kicker Chase McLaughlin. He connected on a 57-yard field goal that provided the margin of victory, and is perfect 9-for-9 from 50-plus yards this season. Stock down Cornerback Jacob Parrish. The rookie struggled, allowing seven catches on seven targets for 62 yards. Injuries CB Benjamin Morrison (hamstring) missed his second straight game. ... Evans (clavicle), McMillan (neck) and Kancey (pectoral) have been working out but there's still no timeline for their return. Key stat 38% --- The Bucs held the Cardinals to 3 of 8 on third downs, the eighth time this season they held an opponent to a success rate of 40% or less. Next steps The Buccaneers host the New Orleans Saints (2-10) on Sunday. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl |
