Buccaneers-Patriots: Tampa Bay Can't Touch New England In London Loss

While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stood proudly on the sideline of Wembley Stadium Sunday in London, the crowd of 80,000-plus sang "God Save The Queen."

Perhaps they should have sang "God Save The Bucs."

The Queen doesn't need any help.

The Buccaneers need a lot.

There wasn't much these international travelers from Tampa could do as Tom Brady led his Patriots (5-2) to a relatively easy 35-7 victory over the winless lads from Tampa Bay.

You could see this one coming early. The Bucs ran five plays to start the game and on the sixth, quarterback Josh Johnson stared long and hard at his receiver in the left flat. Brandon Meriweather saw it too, picked off Johnson's offering and took it to the house.

The rout was on.

It was quickly 14-0 then 21-0 and it was easy to see where this one was headed. It was headed to that same disturbing place the Bucs have visited the previous six weeks.

"I think we are going to see an outstanding game," CBS analyst Phil Sims told his broadcast partner Jim Nance before kickoff.

Shame on you Phil.

Way to mislead everyone.

You couldn't mislead some of those British fans, you know, the ones who took those Buccaneers bandannas and tied them about their faces like old western bank robbers used to do.

Who could blame them.

It was 21-7 at the half and virtually over.

Sure the Buccaneers had their moments. That is their problem, their good play lasts just moments, not quarters, halves, or entire games.

Johnson had his moment when he completed two passes in a row to Antonio Bryant for 51 total yards, the second, a 33-yard scoring strike for the only Buc points.

It could have been and should have been a lot worse.

Brady helped the Bucs as best he could. Tanard Jackson picked him off in the end zone in the second quarter to stop what looked like a gimme touchdown for the Pats. Aqib Talib got a pick. Two picks on an un-Brady-like evening on the Wembley pitch.

Brady got over those and drilled Tampa for 308 yards and three touchdowns. The Bucs had no answer for the shifty little Wes Welker, who latched on to 10 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown.

Sure, there were moments when the Tampa defensive line bothered Brady. But there were not enough moments.

Not enough completed passes for Johnson. Only nine.

And nine was significant in this game.

With nine minutes left, Raheem Morris held up five fingers, and with that, rookie Josh Freeman was in the game's final quarter.

Wasn't much he could do. He was roughed up, sacked, fumbled and completed a pair in his premier appearance as a Buc.

The Bucs can come home now.

They can come home, take a week off and inhale the stale air of 0-7. Morris can take his bye week and figure out what's next.

Is this the start of the Josh Freeman era?

Did those five Morris fingers point the way for a Freeman start against Green Bay?

Will this downward spiral continue?

Can this team win a game?

God Save The Bucs!