Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Week 12 Loss Marked by Penalties, Missed Opportunities

The recipe for defeat was a familiar one for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, as a plethora of mistakes and missed opportunities brought an end to their two-game winning streak with a 25-12 road loss against the Indianapolis Colts.

Tampa Bay dropped to 5-6 on the season, failing to take advantage of another Atlanta Falcons loss to gain ground in the NFC playoff race.

The Bucs came into the game as the NFL’s most penalized team, and they lived up to that reputation. Head coach Lovie Smith’s crew was flagged 12 times for 95 yards, with many of the infractions coming in key moments that had a direct impact on the scoreboard.

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

A holding call nullified a goal-line touchdown run by Doug Martin in the first half, after which the Bucs were forced to settle for a field goal. After the Colts had stormed back to take the lead in the second half, a fourth-quarter defensive holding call brought back what would have been a huge takeaway for the Bucs. Instead of getting good field position with a chance to score a game-tying touchdown, the Bucs had to keep their defense on the field and the Colts were able to stretch their lead.

Arguably the most questionable call of the game came later on that drive, as the Colts attempted a field goal to stretch their lead to two scores. Bucs safety Chris Conte jumped clean over the Colts offensive line and barely missed blocking the kick but was flagged for the rare call of “leaping,” despite not having landed on a teammate after he jumped. The penalty gave the Colts a fresh set of downs and eventually led to another touchdown.

A missed 54-yard field goal by kicker Connor Barth would have given the Colts good enough field position on the ensuing drive as it was, but a poor decision after the whistle by veteran guard Logan Mankins tacked on a 15-yard personal foul penalty.

AJ Mast/Associated Press

Tampa Bay’s missed opportunities weren’t limited to penalties, either. Mike Evans dropped a sure touchdown catch that would have been a game-changing moment for the Bucs, while a missed extra point by Barth changed the complexion of the game in its own right.

On defense, the Bucs did a decent job of bending but not breaking for the first three quarters, giving up plenty of yardage between the 20s but clamping down in the red zone and forcing the Colts to settle for field goals. But the offense simply never took full advantage of those opportunities, settling for field goals of their own and drawing far too many flags.

Things didn’t look too bad for the Bucs early on, as they took a 12-6 lead into the half. Jameis Winston was converting on key third downs from long distances, Martin was grinding out plenty of quality yards on the ground and the defense was keeping the Colts out of the end zone.

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

But things fell apart in the second half. Winston struggled with consistency and accuracy, Martin was given just three touches after a 56-yard first-half run and the floodgates finally burst open on defense. Tampa Bay’s defense made 40-year-old Matt Hasselbeck look like he was still in his prime, as the veteran finished the game with 315 yards and a pair of scores through the air with no interceptions.

The Bucs sacked Hasselbeck three times but failed to force a turnover all game, something that has been key to the unit’s success in recent weeks.

The Bucs showed plenty of promise over the previous two weeks, and it’s clear they’re a young, talented team on the rise. But Sunday’s loss proved just how far they still have left to go before they can be considered a true playoff contender.

All stats courtesy of NFL.com

Luke Easterling is a Featured Columnist covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and NFL draft for Bleacher Report. He is also a senior NFL draft analyst for Draft Breakdown. Follow him on Twitter @Luke Easterling.