The Sky Is Falling in Tampa Bay
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 0-2, and the early feeling around the franchise is not good.
Tampa Bay dropped its home opener, falling 23-19 to the Cleveland Browns in a game that added more troubling questions than encouraging answers. The Buccaneers have played only two games, but an 0-2 start has put urgency around a team that entered the season with expectations of competing near the top of the NFC.
There is still time to correct course. There is still enough talent on the roster to make a run. But the Bucs cannot ignore what has unfolded through two weeks: inconsistent quarterback play, a passing game lacking rhythm, problematic offensive-line moments and a coaching staff still searching for the right offensive identity.
Here are the biggest takeaways from Tampa Bay’s Week 2 loss.
Baker Mayfield Has Been Bad
If there is one place to begin when assigning responsibility for Tampa Bay’s rough opening, it is with Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield has not played winning football through two games. In Week 1, he moved the ball at times but gave away possessions. Against Cleveland, his performance took another troubling turn. He looked unsettled in the pocket, inaccurate downfield and unable to consistently process what the defense showed him.
The interception was particularly damaging. Mayfield tried to float a pass into a tight window to a covered receiver, a throw with very little chance of becoming a completion. He also fired a pass into triple coverage that Ted Hurst had to knock down, preventing what could have been another turnover.
Mayfield has always played with aggression, and some of that aggressive nature is part of what makes him effective. But there is a difference between calculated risk and reckless decision-making. Through two weeks, the Bucs are getting too much risk and not enough payoff.
The concern is not limited to the throws. Mayfield has too often left clean pockets, creating pressure that was not initially there. And when he does escape the rush, he has not consistently found open receivers or created the off-script plays that have helped define his career.
The Buccaneers need their quarterback to settle down quickly. An offense can survive an occasional bad series. It cannot survive a quarterback repeatedly putting the ball in harm’s way.
Zac Robinson Must Find Variety
New offensive coordinator Zac Robinson has already shown elements worth building upon.
The Buccaneers’ running game has been productive. Several of Robinson’s run concepts have worked, and his early sequencing has offered glimpses of a more creative and functional offensive approach. There is a foundation here.
But the early concern is repetition.
Too many screens. Too many returns to the same successful run concept. Too little adjustment once the defense starts anticipating what is coming next.
NFL defenses are too sharp and too well coached for an offense to keep going back to the same call without consequences. If Tampa Bay finds success on a particular running play, that does not mean the answer is to use it three more times before the defense changes its front, fills the gap or brings an extra defender into the box.
There may be elements of the passing game that are open on film but not being recognized or delivered by Mayfield. That is possible. Still, the play-calling issue cannot be completely separated from the quarterback problem. Robinson must create more variation, better counters and clearer answers when opponents begin taking away the first option.
Offensive Line Has One Clear Concern
The Buccaneers’ offensive line has received more criticism than it deserves in the opening two weeks.
Pressure statistics do not always tell the full story. A quarterback who abandons clean protection can make the front five look worse than it actually played. Some of the pressure allowed by Tampa Bay has been created or extended by Mayfield’s movement rather than by a clear breakdown up front.
That said, Ben Bredeson has emerged as a significant concern.
Bredeson has been beaten several times, and communication issues have appeared to involve him on multiple occasions. Offensive line play depends on five players operating as one unit. A missed assignment, late handoff or failure to recognize a stunt can disrupt a play before it has any chance to develop.
Right now, Bredeson is the weak link in a group that needs more consistency. Tampa Bay does not necessarily need wholesale change. It needs better cohesion, cleaner communication and more reliable interior protection.
Benjamin Morrison Keeps Rising
There were positive developments on defense, and rookie defensive back Benjamin Morrison continues to be one of them.
Morrison was forced into early action, but he has responded with poise. His coverage has looked strong, and he has been more physical as a tackler than many expected. He did miss a tackle that led to a chunk gain against Cleveland, but the larger body of work remains encouraging.
The Bucs drafted Morrison to become a future starter in the secondary, and he is beginning to look like a player capable of handling that responsibility sooner rather than later.
For a team needing confidence-building developments, Morrison is one of the best. The arrow is pointing up.
Rueben Bain Is Learning on the Fly
Rookie edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. did not make much of an impact in Week 1, but he showed signs of progress against Cleveland.
His run defense looked better. He found his way into the backfield on several snaps. It was not a breakout game, and the box score will not tell the story of a rookie suddenly taking over, but there were meaningful steps in the right direction.
At the same time, Bain still appears to be adjusting to the speed and complexity of the NFL game. There are moments when he seems to peek into the backfield or hesitate before fully committing to his responsibility. That is common for a young defender learning pro concepts, protections and pre-snap movement.
The game is moving fast for Bain right now. More repetitions should help slow it down.
The Buccaneers need patience with their rookie pass rusher. The flashes are there. The consistency will have to come with experience.
The Bucs Need a Fast Response
At 0-2, the Buccaneers are not finished. But they have reached the point where urgency is required.
Tampa Bay must get better quarterback play. Mayfield must protect the football, trust his pocket and stop trying to force difficult throws into covered windows. Robinson must diversify the passing attack and establish better answers after defenses adjust. The offensive line must eliminate communication mistakes, especially inside.
The encouraging part is that the Bucs have young contributors such as Morrison and Bain who are providing reasons to believe the defense can continue to improve.
But optimism only goes so far in the NFL. The Buccaneers need results, and they need them soon.
J.T. Olsen is a contributor to Bucs Report read them for all the latest news on Buccaneers and a special correspondent for Sports Talk Florida.
