The Bucs ran 61 plays total, and 33 of them were runs, more than half. Bowles told reporters that it was a strategy that had worked in both games against the Panthers last season. It’s also a number Bowles felt would be a winning strategy again on Sunday.
“You play well when you rush over 30 attempts per game statistically speaking, and I think we had some runs in there and a chance to throw it, but we controlled the time of possession and the clock all the way down to the end,” said coach Todd Bowles after the game.
On defense, the backbreaker for Tampa Bay was a touchdown the Panthers added right before half, with 0:07 left to be exact, as Bryce Young hit Tetairoa McMillan on a 22-yard pass. McMillan was locked in a one-on-one with Jamel Dean, and the rookie got past him for the score.
“They got behind Dean before the half, which can’t happen,” said Bowles. “No timeouts – they have to throw it inbounds and they have to throw it out of the end zone. He should have been back and made that play; he did not make it.”
If Tampa Bay wants to make the playoffs now, they must win out against Miami this week and the Panthers in Week 18.
“We understand that,” said Bowles. “The biggest thing is our confidence is good, camaraderie is good, and that’s high, but that’s not enough right now. It’s the execution that we’re lacking; we’re missing a few things here and there. We shot ourselves in the foot enough today to lose this ballgame by three. And we understand that…we definitely understand that.
“We’ve got to take it one day at a time and, again, I think the guys are accountable, the coaches are accountable. We’re going to load up, we’re going to come back Monday, and hopefully in two weeks we get a chance to see them again and play for something.”