Biggest Takeaways from Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Week 12 Loss

After a two-game winning streak that had fans thinking playoffs, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were brought back down to Earth a bit with a 25-12 road loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

The loss dropped the Bucs to 5-6 on the season, but thanks to another Atlanta Falcons loss, they remain alive in the NFC playoff picture.

Tampa Bay's inexperience and lack of quality depth were evident against the Colts, as the more veteran team avoided mistakes and took advantage of the Bucs' missed opportunities. Despite heading to the half with a 12-6 lead, the Bucs couldn't find the scoreboard in the second half, giving up 13 unanswered points and going home with their first loss in three weeks.

Let's take a look at what we learned about the Bucs coming off this loss.

Stop Feeding Doug Martin, Pay the Price

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When you have a running back that ranks second in the NFL in rushing yards, you feed him the ball.

The Bucs did a great job of that in the first half on Sunday, as Doug Martin racked up 90 yards on just 12 carries heading into the break. But after his final first-half carry—a 56-yarder—Martin carried the ball just twice in the second half, despite Tampa Bay owning a six-point lead to begin the third quarter.

Tampa Bay has done a solid job of establishing an identity in the ground game and using that to help rookie quarterback Jameis Winston. For some reason, they abandoned that identity in the second half on Sunday, and it was a huge factor in sending them home with a loss.

Still Plenty of Growing Up to Do

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There's plenty to be excited about when it comes to the future of the Bucs, from a rookie quarterback playing like a veteran to promising young talents like Kwon Alexander and Mike Evans.

But Sunday's loss proved the Bucs still have a long way to go, as a more experienced Colts team did what veteran teams typically do to younger teams: avoid backbreaking mistakes and take advantage of key opportunities.

The future is insanely bright for Tampa Bay, and the two-game winning streak that preceded Sunday's loss was full of encouraging examples of what lies ahead for the Pewter Pirates. But this loss was a little slice of reality, showing just how much growing the Bucs still need to do before they can be considered true playoff contenders.

Not Good Enough Yet to Overcome Penalties, Questionable Calls

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The Bucs went into Sunday's game as the NFL's most penalized team, and they kept their lead by drawing 12 flags for 95 yards.

Some of the calls were questionable—even to the point of drawing a fiery reaction from Tampa Bay's typically mild-mannered head coach, Lovie Smith—but blaming a loss on the officiating will always sound like an excuse.

Even with all of the penalties—questionable calls included—the Bucs still had plenty of opportunities to take control of Sunday's game, but they failed to take advantage. Whether it was a dropped touchdown pass or a blown assignment in coverage, the Bucs did enough on their own to lose the game, proving they're not fundamentally sound enough to overcome penalties or issues with officiating.

Sacks Are Nice, but Consistent Pressure Still Lacking

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Tampa Bay bagged three sacks on Sunday, but while that looks good in a box score, it doesn't tell the whole story when it comes to their ability to get after the quarterback.

Those sacks were helpful, but it was what the Bucs did—or rather, didn't do—on most of the plays in between that played a key part in handing them their sixth loss of the season. The front four generated very little pressure otherwise, giving veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck a clean pocket for most of the afternoon and plenty of time to pick apart the secondary.

The Bucs simply can't have success on defense if they're not able to create consistent pressure with just their defensive line. They have the talent on paper to make it happen with the likes of Jacquies Smith, Gerald McCoy and surprising rookie free agent Howard Jones, but the consistency is still missing, and it was a key factor in Sunday's loss.

Inexperience, Injuries Painfully Evident on Offensive Line

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For most of the season, Tampa Bay's offensive line has played well beyond preseason expectations, as a unit that featured four new starters—two of them rookies—has paved the way for a productive ground game and protected Jameis Winston fairly well.

But Sunday's performance proved this unit is starting to feel their lack of depth due to injuries. Rookie second-rounder Ali Marpet might be the group's best overall player, but he's been out with an ankle injury. His replacement—veteran Evan Smith—was also injured this week, forcing former fifth-rounder Kevin Pamphile into the starting lineup.

The Colts had managed just 14 sacks all year heading into Sunday's game, but they were able to get to Winston five times, as rookie left tackle Donovan Smith showed his lack of experience with a rough performance. The entire group struggled on Sunday, and they might not be able to bounce back until they get fully healthy.