Yarcho’s Pick Six: Bucs Can’t Finish

2-6. Two. And. Six. Yet again, we have a situation where the Buccaneers have a lead and can’t close a game out. This time, it came on the road in Seattle where for the second straight time the Bucs lose in overtime at CenturyLink.

The Seahawks didn’t have a lead until the fourth quarter. Once they got it, they never relinquished it. It was a back and forth battle where the team that has been a perennial playoff contender beat the perennial basement dweller.

Let’s pick six.

Six Topics Suitable For Conversation

1.) Todd Bowles is too smart to be this dumb. The Bucs lost cornerback Carlton Davis during warmups and he was out for the game. His replacement was third round rookie Jamel Dean who was tasked with covering the likes of D.K. Metcalf, David Moore, and Tyler Lockett in man coverage. You want to know what Dean can’t do? Cover those receivers man to man like Davis can. Yes, Davis has had his issues with penalties, but he’s the best cover corner on the team. If Dean was anywhere close, he would be a starter. So, instead of adjusting to the personnel, Bowles stuck with the original game plan, expecting Dean to step in and do what was expected of Davis. Spoiler alert - he did not. Todd Bowles went full Mike Smith and it cost the Bucs the game.

2.) Jameis Winston played as well as the Bucs needed him to. And they still lost. Yes, he had one turnover and that turnover led to three points for Seattle. However, a quarterback shouldn’t have to worry about his own left tackle smacking his throwing arm as he’s in the process of throwing. Winston made some great passes, some great decisions, and made plays with his legs when he needed to. This is part of the problem with the “blame Jameis” narrative. Even when Winston plays like this, the Bucs still lose. I have no problem ripping Jameis a new one when he deserves it (see the London game) but he played as well as you could ask your quarterback to and the defense failed.

3.) Mike Evans is stepping up. I called Evans out no too long ago as well. The last two weeks, Evans has been the kind of receiver we all expect him to be because we know he has the skill. It’s kind of sad that the Bucs being 0-2 the last two weeks has overshadowed how great Evans has been. He finished Sunday with twelve receptions on sixteen targets for 180 yards and a touchdown.

4.) Refs still suck. How do you call Ndamukong Suh for defensive holding on a run play, but miss holding against the Seahawks on back to back plays? Or Winston getting his face smacked and helmet pulled to the side? Seems like every week Winston is getting hit on the head or in the facemask and the officials just ignore it. But God forbid Tom Brady gets breathed on too hard...

5.) Bruce Arians isn’t living up to his end. What happened to the accountability board? What happened to the secondary being fixed? You made a lot of promises and some pretty strong statements, Brucey and so far they aren’t coming to fruition. Did you all see the argument he go into with Byron Leftwich on the sidelines and the look Leftwich gave him afterwards? It looked like that kid that got reamed by his dad then when the dad turned his back the kid looked at him like he didn’t actually care and nothing was going to change. Players, coaches, everyone needs to be held accountable. You were brought here for a reason, Bruce. We need to see it.

6.) Prepare yourself. Mock drafts and draft talk are officially in full swing. In November. Again.

Six Numbers To Consider

1 - Player in Bucs’ history to record back-to-back games with 175+ yards receiving - Mike Evans

13 - Receptions by Seahawks’ receiver Tyler Lockett, a career high

842 - Receiving yards by Evans, most in team history through the first half of the season

12 - Tackles by Devin White, fifth most in a single game for a rookie for the Bucs since 2010

230 - Points scored by the Bucs through eight games, most in team history (with two wins to show for it)

21 - Consecutive kicks made by Gay before missing a 50-yard attempt in Seattle

Six Best Tweets

Six Super Bowl Bets

(Per usual, completed prior to the completion of the Sunday night game)

1.) New England Patriots - Not going undefeated but still the best team in the league

2.) Seattle Seahawks - Wilson on pace for MVP and they just got Josh Gordon

3.) Kansas City Chiefs - Patrick Mahomes is coming back...

4.) San Francisco 49ers - Somehow undefeated, but I’m still not buying them

5.) Baltimore Ravens - Thought they were a playoff team, not a championship contender. Sunday night has me changing my mind

28.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Could they even beat Miami at this point?

Six Final Words

When Will The Madness Finally End?