Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Detroit Lions: Full Report-Card Grades for Tampa Bay
It wasn't a heartbreaker in the final moments, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost once again all the same, falling 34-17 on the road to the Detroit Lions.
Tampa Bay (2-11) was shredded by the Lions offense to the tune of 407 total yards, as Matthew Stafford threw for 311 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, while Joique Bell added 133 total yards and and two scores.
Calvin Johnson was nearly uncoverable all afternoon, hauling in eight passes for 158 yards and a touchdown, while Joseph Fauria caught his first touchdown of the season after grabbing seven scores as a rookie in 2013.
Josh McCown was battered early and often by the Lions defensive front, leading to six sacks, two interceptions, multiple hits and hurries and plenty of missed throws. The Bucs couldn't generate anything on the ground, averaging less than two yards per carry before having to air it out for most of the second half in an effort to catch up on the scoreboard.
The receivers led the way for the Bucs' effort, as Vincent Jackson led the team with 10 catches for 159 yards, while Mike Evans hauled in two more touchdown catches, giving him 10 for his rookie season.
On defense, the Bucs managed four sacks of their own on Stafford, with waiver-wire wonder Jacquies Smith leading the way with a pair.
A five-yard strike from McCown to Evans brought the Bucs within seven just before the half, but that's as close as they would get for the rest of the afternoon. The Lions would stretch their lead to 17 by the end of the third quarter, then ended all hope of a Tampa Bay comeback with a strange five-yard touchdown pass to Joique Bell, who grabbed a tipped pass out of the air while behind the line of scrimmage and ran it in for the score.
Quarterback
1 of 10
He didn't get much help from his offensive line or the game situation, but Josh McCown turned in another dismal performance under center this week.
The veteran journeyman completed just 20 of his 39 passes for 250 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, was sacked six times and missed on countless throws due to poor mechanics and bad decision-making.
With only three games left, it will be interesting to see if the Bucs stick with McCown or go back to the younger option in Mike Glennon to close out the year.
Grade: D
Running Back
2 of 10
Tampa Bay's backs weren't given much of a chance to succeed, but they sure didn't do a whole lot with the opportunities they did have.
Doug Martin led the team with just 22 yards on five carries, nine of which came on a single run. Martin added a catch, but it went for no gain. Rookie Charles Sims flashed as a receiver with a 24-yard screen play but managed to lose four yards on his five carries.
As a team, Tampa Bay averaged just 1.9 yards per carry for the game, as their offensive line was caved in on a regular basis by Detroit's superior front four. It's hard to blame this group for the weak showing, but good backs make plays out of nothing, and there was just a whole bunch of nothing in this game.
Grade: D
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
Despite a terrible day from their offensive line, which led to a terrible day from their quarterback, Tampa Bay's pass-catchers turned in a fairly impressive effort.
Vincent Jackson led the way in catches and yards, bringing down 10 passes for 159 yards, proving he's still got plenty of value even into his 30s. Rookie Mike Evans got back in the end zone after a one-week hiatus, hauling in two scores to give him 10 in his first 14 NFL games.
Louis Murphy caught three passes for 18 yards, while Luke Stocker made one of the team's biggest plays of the day, hustling back on a key Detroit interception to force a fumble and give the ball back to the Bucs deep in Lions territory.
The Bucs have few reasons to be excited after Sunday's loss, but this group is one of them.
Grade: B+
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
They didn't commit the 10 penalties they did last week, but that's about the only positive Bucs fans can take away from their offensive line's performance this week.
The team averaged less than two yards per carry on the ground, and somehow played even worse in pass protection, allowing Josh McCown to be sacked six times and pressured on countless other dropbacks. After Garrett Gilkey was given so much grief for rolling a snap to McCown on the ground last week, veteran starter Evan Dietrich-Smith committed the exact same offense in his return this week.
Week in and week out, this continues to be the first place fans should look for the reasons why the Bucs lost. This week was no exception.
Grade: F
Defensive Line
5 of 10
Four sacks might look nice on the stat sheet, but this unit simply didn't provide enough consistent pressure on Matthew Stafford, though they did keep the Detroit ground game in check for most of the afternoon.
Stafford did go down four times, but he was otherwise allowed to carve up the Tampa Bay secondary nearly at will, completing 26 of his 34 passes for 311 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. on the ground, aside from a 57-yard run with the game already put away late, the Bucs held Joique Bell and Reggie Bush to just 52 yards on 25 carries the rest of the day.
Waiver-wire pickup Jacquies Smith continues to impress, leading the team with two sacks, giving him six for the season.
Tampa Bay's lackluster offense kept this unit on the field way too long, but they didn't do a terrible job, considering.
Grade: C+
Linebacker
6 of 10
Lavonte David returned after a two-week absence due to a hamstring injury, and he left the game late with a scary head injury after tallying just five total tackles. The All-Pro had a key pass breakup on a third-down attempt in the end zone, forcing a field goal, and the few stops he did make showed the explosiveness he's known for.
Danny Lansanah continues to impress, starting in the middle for the injured Mason Foster. The training-camp standout led the team with eight tackles, becoming the first player in Bucs history to make a start at each of the three linebacker spots in the same season.
This group continues to tackle fairly well and looks to be feeling more and more comfortable with their responsibilities in the Tampa 2. If they didn't have to stay on the field all the time, they'd be even better.
Grade: C+
Secondary
7 of 10
After four straight weeks of impressive performances, the Tampa Bay secondary finally broke, allowing their first 300-yard passer since Cleveland's Brian Hoyer.
Matthew Stafford hung 311 yards and three scores on the Bucs defensive backs, with no interceptions and very little resistance. Johnthan Banks nearly came up with his fifth interception of the season, but he couldn't grab hold of a tipped pass off the hands of Reggie Bush.
Calvin Johnson was able to take the top off the defense, which hasn't happened in a while, but he's also a very rare player. Still, this was clearly a step back for a unit that had been playing as well as any on the team.
Grade: D
Special Teams
8 of 10
The kicking game was outstanding in both facets, the coverage teams didn't give up any back-breaking gains and the return teams avoided any terrible decisions or costly turnovers. That's all you can ask for from your special teams unit.
Patrick Murray nailed a 54-yard field goal early in the game, continuing to prove he has the big leg and consistency to be a reliable weapon. Michael Koenen's struggles have been well documented this season, but he had a strong day, averaging over 40 yards on his seven punts, landing one deep in Detroit territory.
Across the board, it was a solid day for this group.
Grade: B+
Coaching
9 of 10
Nothing earth-shattering in one direction or another from the coaching department, except for the fact that Tampa Bay continues to suffer from a severe lack of offensive identity.
The team announced earlier this week they are officially parting ways with Jeff Tedford, who was hired to be the team's offensive coordinator but stepped down due to health/personal reasons. Quarterbacks coach Marcus Arroyo has had his hands full stepping in as the play-caller, and the offense has clearly missed having an experienced coach in that position.
But hey, at least they didn't lose because they had too many men on the field.
Grade: C-
Final Grade
10 of 10
The Bucs kept it close at times, but there's simply no remedy if you can't win the battle in the trenches on either side of the ball.
Tampa Bay had to abandon the run early, allowing Detroit's fearsome front four to pin their ears back and turn Josh McCown into a human punching bag. The defense did its best to hold things together, but too many turnovers and short fields eventually turned its bending into breaking.
The road team was overmatched in just about every way, and the Bucs continue to prove how far away they are from being a legitimate contender in the NFC.
Final Grade: D
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