After a heartbreaking 30-24 loss at Kansas City, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took the Chiefs to the game on Monday Night Football. The Buccaneers took the Chiefs to overtime, something no team has done this season, but they still ended up on the losing end after the Chiefs offense was able to put points on the board first in overtime. Unfortunately, due to the rules in place, the Bucs never got the opportunity to possess the ball after Kansas City won the coin toss and Patrick Mahomes took his offense down the field to end it.
But the Bucs showed grit, determination and fight all the way to the end. Down with their top three receivers and top cornerback, the Buccaneers found a way to hang on and nearly pull off the upset. While there are no moral victories in football, the Bucs need to feel good about the loss and their losses on the season outside of the shellacking the Broncos gave them in Week 3. There is no time to dwell on what could have been though the Bucs must get ready for a tough matchup against the 49ers. Here are my thoughts and top takeaways from the Bucs’ overtime loss to the Chiefs.
Outside of the officiating, which is usually a topic of discussion when teams play the Chiefs, perhaps the biggest controversy was Bucs head coach Todd Bowles’ decision to kick an extra point after scoring the game-tying touchdown instead of going for two and winning. The Bucs had just marched 70 yards down the field after the Chiefs ran an eight-minute drive for the go-ahead score. The Bucs defense gassed and playing for overtime with the chance for Mahomes and the offense to get the ball first was a head-scratcher.
When probed about the decision not to go for two, Bowles explained that the conditions on the field were part of the reason he chose to send the game to extra time and said they didn’t put much thought into trying to convert two points. The problem is, the Bucs had just played in those conditions to put up six and bring the game within striking distance of a win. Bowles doubled down on the “wet conditions” Tuesday, saying he believed the defense, the same one that struggled to stop Mahomes on third downs all night, could get a stop and the offensive momentum would continue into overtime.
Unfortunately, the Bucs never got a chance to carry any offensive momentum into overtime and failed to possess the ball after Mahomes and the offense scored a walk-off touchdown. I know the analytics, with a small margin said to kick the extra point, but with the chance to steal a win from the undefeated Chiefs on their home field, especially with the conditions within reach, you have to bet on it. Just another example of Bowles not handling the game with gusto and playing it safe.
Another week another big game by Cade Otton. After last week’s performance, Otton’s consistent play has to be discussed. Over the past three weeks, the third-year tight end has made 25 receptions on 31 targets for 258 yards and three touchdowns. He is solidifying as one of the best tight ends in the game right before our eyes. He has developed chemistry with Baker Mayfield, and the quarterback trusts him on key downs to make plays.
It’s not just his receiving prowess that has shown up for the gloveless tight end. Otton has improved tremendously as a blocker. His block rating, per Pro Football Focus, is up 16 points this season and it’s showing on the field as well. Since Chris Godwin and Mike Evans went down with injuries, Otton has stepped up in more ways than one. He has expanded his route tree and has shown he can handle the increased workload which is good for the Bucs with Evans down at least another week and Godwin lost for the season.
The Bucs haven’t really struggled to get pressure this season, what they have struggled with is finishing. In fact, the Bucs have 173 pressures on the season with outside linebacker Yaya Diaby leading the way with 33. However, the team has just 26 sacks midway through the season and has struggled to get home without sending an extra blitzer all year.
Well, that changed on Monday night against the Chiefs. All four Bucs sacks on Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes came from base pressures and came up the middle. Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey dominated a very good Chiefs interior offensive line with four sacks on the night. Vea’s first sack knocked Kansas City out of field goal position, while Kancey’s two sacks were drive enders. His first came on the final series of the second quarter to end the half, and his second stopped the Chiefs’ first possession after the halftime break.
The Bucs outside linebackers still need to do a better job of getting home if Vea and KAncey can continue to disrupt from the interior it should open up more opportunities for everyone else.
*Bonus*
His name was mentioned all night on the Monday Night Football broadcast and for good reason. Bucs first-year offensive coordinator Liam Coen has the offense humming right now, scoring 24 points per game over the past two weeks without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. He’s had to do that with guys who are fringe number three receivers and he finds a way to elevate their game through creativity and excellent play calling. The Bucs are ranked fifth in total offense, fifth in passing, fifth in scoring, second in red zone and second in third-down offense. With a revitalized rushing game, one that finished dead last the previous two seasons, Coen has Tampa Bay as the 10th best running attack in the league. Give the man his credit because he’s doing a heck of a job with the Buccaneers offense, and he’s doing it under his two best players.
Stick with it BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2024 season.
Follow BucsGameday on Chirp and Facebook
• Buccaneers’ Week 10 Game vs. The 49ers could be a huge playoff swing for Tampa Bay
• Buccaneers fall in Week 10 Power Rankings after overtime loss to Chiefs
• Skip Bayless calls out Tom Brady’s broadcast as former Bucs QB faces criticism
• The Buccaneers do not move before the Nov. 5 NFL Trade Deadline
