Bucs at Bills: Most Disappointing In Week 8

There were moments of hope for the Bucs against the Bills Thursday night. After Will Gholston’s first career interception and Chris Godwin’s first touchdown grab of the season, Tampa Bay had life. Late in the game, it reignited after a late score by Mike Evans to bring them within a touchdown.

The game ended with the ball in Baker Mayfield’s hands, but a Hail Mary pass attempt fell incomplete, and the Bucs ultimately fell below .500 after a 24-18 loss.

Now the Bucs have a mini-bye week to assess why they’re at sitting 3-4 and with many concerns, from aggressiveness to offensive play-calling to personnel. A lot could be mentioned below, but here is what was most disappointing about their defeat in Week 8.

Ryan Neal

Well, well, well. This one is not a surprise.

While Ryan Neal had a solid game on the stat sheet with 13 tackles, his play was another story. Late in the second quarter, tight end Dalton Kincaid scored a 22-yard touchdown with Neal in coverage. The only man responsible for covering Kincaid, he could not keep up with the rookie tight end and allowed another big play. 

In the second half, Neal was also called for a defensive holding call that aided Josh Allen in guiding the Bills to another touchdown, which made it a 24-10 game.

It is evident at this point that Neal is just a guy, and after so much offseason hype about finding him in the bargain bin, he has far from lived up to that billing. As has been the case most of this season, the safety has not benefited the defense with his play and often the opposite.

Calls to put Dee Delaney over him have been made in recent weeks, and Thursday night was another example of why.

Todd Bowles’ Lack Of Aggressiveness

Head coach Todd Bowles did not do himself any favors to fix the reputation he has surrounding his game-management decisions. At the end of the first half, it was a 17-10 game. The Bucs had the ball during the two-minute warning and were faced with a 4th & 3.

Instead of going for it, the offense was brought off the field with 19 seconds left and Chase McLaughlin and the field goal unit came out. Rather than going for it or kicking a 59-yard field goal, though, Bowles had them take a delay of game penalty. From there, the Bucs punted the ball away.

WHY?

This play showed a lack of faith in the offense and is another instance of Bowles not being aggressive and going for it. With little to lose, the Bucs either had a chance to convert and give themselves a chance to score a touchdown or attempt a field goal. But rather than trying to put points up, they did not even try. This decision was one of the most questionable moves made during the game.

Scheming Mike Evans Open Within Offense

Matching up against 2022 sixth-round pick Christian Benford, Mike Evans was primed to have a big day in primetime action. For the first 57 minutes, he did not.

Offensive coordinator Dave Canales chose not to call plays looking Evans’ way, and he was held to just one catch for seven yards until they faced a 4th & 10 on what was likely going to be their last offensive play of the game. It was at this time Baker Mayfield heaved a throw out of desparation toward Evans, who made an impressive catch for a touchdown. Why this was not done sooner is puzzling.

While there have been stretches of games where Evans is not involved, it is rare to see games where he is this quiet. This was a largely disappointing use of Evans, especially looking at the extent at which the Bills got the ball in the hands of Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis and Dalton Kincaid regularly. Even Khalil Shakir got in on the action. All four of them had at least five catches for 65 yards.

It is a rather simple equation when it comes to Mike Evans and scoring points. If Tampa Bay wants to put more points on the board, it has to find ways to get him the ball consistently. Not just for play, a drive, or a quarter, but throughout the whole 60 minutes of action.

Luke Goedeke

Bucs right tackle Luke Goedeke’s play has been surprisingly solid this season. Goedeke is well on his way to changing the narrative of being a bust, but against the Bills, he took a step back.

Goedeke did not have just one false start. Not two false starts. No, he had three false starts. That is not the hat trick you are looking to have as an offensive lineman. In a game where Tampa Bay needed to limit its mistakes, these were instances of simply playing undisciplined football. Hopefully, for Goedeke’s sake, this is a one-off effort from him.

Cody Mauch

The right side of the offensive line did not just disappoint with Luke Goedeke. Second-round pick Cody Mauch had a just as – if not more – disappointing game. Through the first three quarters, he was pushed back and beaten with relative ease. In the fourth quarter, Mauch was the sole reason for the Bucs not having a big play. Baker Mayfield finally found Mike Evans, and Evans ran downfield for a 41-yard reception. But it was called back for offensive holding on Mauch.

Baker Mayfield

The play of the offense is largely determined by the quarterback. Outside of Chris Godwin’s touchdown grab and a late Mike Evans score, there was not a lot to write home about. This all circles back to Baker Mayfield, who has not proved to be a big difference-maker in putting points up.

One can point to the final minutes, where Mayfield nearly brought the Bucs back, but it did not have to come to that. It was a rather inefficient day for him, as he went 25-of-42 passing for 237 yards and two touchdowns.

He missed a lot of throws throughout the game, and when he aired it out deeper, there were quite a few chances for Buffalo defenders to get their hands on the ball. It is surprising that one of them did not come down with an interception.

No, it is not all on him. The offensive line struggled in front of him and there were some key drops and plays called back due to penalties. At the same time, Mayfield also has to show an ability to rise above what is going on around him and elevate the play of himself and others. That did not happen against the Bills, and it has not been the case since the first of the month.

Devin White

It was not a turnaround showing for the Bucs’ inside linebacker. It was another game of below-average play for Devin White, with him giving up the middle of the field on a Josh Allen quarterback run up the middle and also missing tackles and letting up on plays. White did not get live Thursday night and decided to keep his horses in the stable.

Each of the remaining games offers a chance for White to ball out in a contract year, but besides Week 1, the spark has not been there for him. Against the Eagles, it was known that he had a hamstring injury. But weeks later, there is no excuse for his play. No matter how well he plays down the stretch, Bucs general manager Jason Licht and assistant general manager Mike Greenberg have little reason to extend a contract his way.

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