Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6 Biggest Implications after Loss to Green Bay

Well, that looked a lot better than we could've ever hoped for.

The Buccaneers' season is quickly falling apart, however. Now brakeless and flying in the wrong direction, the youngest team in the NFL has no room for error if they are still dreaming of a playoff berth.

The still-undefeated Green Bay Packers had quite a scare this past Sunday and to be honest, looked poor on defense and incredibly one-dimensional on offense.

I'm going to walk the plank on this one: The Bucs should've beaten the Packers. Hands down. But with nine penalties at the worst possible times, Raheem Morris and his Bucs continued to shoot themselves in the foot.

But maybe this loss can be a positive in the locker room. Or maybe it just proves the Bucs can't get it done this season.

So, here are the six biggest implications from the Bucs' fourth straight loss. All of it. The good, the bad and the ugly.

It's Simply Not Freeman's Year

"I'm a better quarterback this year than I was last year."

Yeah, right. Are you kidding me?

The Bucs QB hasn't played well this season and has been a major disappointment for fans and teammates that were expecting a huge step forward.

He has already chucked up 15 interceptions, only three away from his rookie campaign. He's also thrown 11 touchdowns and has a slightly better completion percentage than last year. Freeman has taken quite a large step back from grace, going from a 95.9 QB rating to a measly 75.0.

I'm sorry, Josh. This year just isn't your year.

But give it time.

Freeman played close to a perfect game against the Pack this past Sunday, completing 28 passes out of 38 and throwing for 342 yards and two TDs. He did give the ball away two times, but if the receivers could only catch the ball when it hits them in the hands...

Josh Freeman is not a bad player and from what he showed against Green Bay, there's still some hope for multiple wins this season.

Mike Williams Can Still Play Good Football

It's been a rough year for the Buccaneer offense. Especially for wideout Mike Williams. 

He only has two touchdowns on the year with 46 receptions. He's still being targeted and really hasn't had that much trouble getting open for his QB.

Williams does seem to have the drops this year, though. He has pushed himself into the Top Three of dropped passes this season and has also lacked the "big play threat" role he played last year.

But if the Green Bay game can bring out any positives, it's that Mike Williams still has that special sauce, that ability to go up and take the ball away from a defender. He was able to haul in seven passes for 83 yards and a quick slant TD. It's quite nice to see the Freeman-to-Williams connection we saw so much last season.

Mike Williams promised the old Mike Williams would return soon. If he wants to keep playing in the NFL, the old Mike better become the new-and-improved Mike. 

LeGarrette Blount Is the Real Deal

If running back LeGarrette Blount had any doubters in his ability to pound the rock, they now have reason to believe. 

Or be scared.

LeGarrette Blount continues to make big plays. Whether it's hurdling defenders or flat out running them over, Blount has found ways to get the job done. Against Green Bay, he totaled Cheesehead defenders and rushed for 102 yards with a jaw-dropping TD.

He is a one-man wrecking crew. The play tells it all. It's actually quite impressive what Blount brings to the table and how he can flick the power to "Beast Mode" on, easily changing the momentum of a game.

Without Blount, the Bucs offense lacks that certain oomph to knock defenders in the mouth and put points up on the board.

Greg Olsen...it's actually quite simple.

Run. Run. Run. 

E.J. Biggers Needs To Step It Up

Now if you're really a Buccaneers fan, you'll notice cornerback E.J. Biggers out on the No. 2 receiver. Actually, he typically plays most downs with Raheem Morris' style of defense and is called on to take a big role in shutting down the pass.

He only has one interception on the year with seven passes batted down. He hasn't played bad football but most of the big plays that come through the air have been against Biggers. This past Sunday he had two key penalties on a stalled Green Bay drive that eventually turned into points.

Head Coach Raheem Morris has been high on Biggers as a big-play defensive back in the National Football League.

Those big plays need to start going the Bucs' way—not for the opposing offense.   

The Playoffs Are Unlikely

With the fourth straight loss in a row, the Bucs drop to 4-6 on the season. It's been a rough year for our hungry Tampa Bay squad and as of today, they are very far away from reaching the playoffs.

With the NFC North playing premier football as of late, it would be a long shot for the Bucs to even be a Wild Card team. Here comes the Hail Mary. The long bomb. The catch?

Win the NFC South.

It's the been the central message since day one and still has some credibility to it. The Bucs' divisional standing at the moment is third—with a 2-1 record, however. With three more divisional games ahead, the Bucs can still reclaim the South (with some help from the Saints' opponents).

These Buccaneers still believe in themselves but the hole appears to be too deep to climb out of.

A six-game win streak, anyone? 

Gut Check Time for Raheem Morris

Head Coach Raheem Morris doesn't care what people say. He is confident in his players. He is confident in himself. 

We just want the wins, though, Raheem. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers play fearlessly, approaching every game with the knowledge and faith that they can win any game. They almost won this one. They should've.

For the record, this team appears to be falling apart.

I'd beg to differ.

They put up 455 yards and held the Pack to 378. Big plays were given up and penalties tackled any chance of victory to the ground. Gutsy calls were made and didn't pay off. But the team took a step in the positive direction. 

They finally found an identity behind Blount's power game and Freeman's play-action passes. It's something we all knew was there. Losses against Chicago, New Orleans and Green Bay were all winnable games. It simply came down to execution in the closing quarters.

But chalk up one more L.

If the Bucs want to talk the talk, they need to start walking the walk. I don't think Raheem Morris' job is in jeopardy. Actually, not at all. But if they want to stay confident and proud, games that should be won need to be secured and labeled as victories. 

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"We're not going to apologize for being aggressive," Morris said. "When you play the Green Bay Packers you've got to play aggressive. You've got to go out, make plays, and you've got to steal possessions."

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To put it bluntly...it's time to shut up and put up, Raheem. Go out and steal some wins. Six of 'em.