Looking back at Bucs’ loss to Miami

by Gary Shelton on December 30, 2025

in general

Godwin had a good day./KIM HUKARI

5 Thoughts

  1. I thought a lot about the worst teams in the NFL Sunday night. I would bet on all of them to beat the Bucs. Even the Raiders.

2. I'm not in the tar-and-feather group, but isn't a coach's job to make is team better as the season goes along? Just asking.

3. Should the Bucs change his name from Baker Mayfield to Burnt Mayfield?

4. At 19 yards a game, it would take 62 and a half games for Bucky Irving to get 1,000. Assuming he stays healthy.

5. I was rewatching the Bucs game last night, and I swear I was seeing a zombie movie. I think it was called "Fear the Walking Dead Who Can't Tackle."

Bowles has gone 1-7 in the last eight games./KIM HUKARI

5 Comments

(From Todd Bowles' Tuesday press conference)

(On what contributed to the blocked field goal against Miami in Week 17): "To me, it looked like a low kick because there was no penetration. He had a hand up and I thought the ball came out low.”

(On the decision to punt instead of go for it on fourth-and-2 in the second quarter): "Just better field position – I thought we could hold them back there and get better field position for our offense.”

(On a fan posting a video of Bucky Irving and Tristan Wirfs having a “heated exchange” on the sideline on Sunday, and if Bowles witnessed that): "I had not observed it. I don’t have anything to say about a fan showing a video of our players.”

(On if T Benjamin Chukwuma should have had help on the left side on the play where Baker Mayfield was strip-sacked): "Yeah, we’ve got to help him, but he’s got to be one-on-one some. We’ve just got to block it better.”

(On what he would blame for the recent uptick in turnovers): "[They are] mistakes. We’ve got to be better at the quarterback position and we’ve got to be better at the signal calling position and we’ve got to be better blocking it.”

Game Balls

Offense: Chris Godwin had more than 100 yards, scored a touchdown and set up another.

Defense: Yaya Diaby was the best of a bad lot.

Special teams: Punter Riley Dixon averaged 42 yards a kick and pinned two of his three punts inside the 20.

Jalen McMillan had a huge day./KIM HUKARI

Grades

Quarterback: When Baker turns it over, the Bucs lose. Grade: F.

Running backs: They were invisible. Grade: F.

Offensive line: They were beaten badly. Grade F.

Receivers: Jalen McMillan and Godwin both had 100 yards. Grade: A.

Defensive line: Miami rushed for 145 yards and their rookie quarterback was unfazed. Grade: F.

Linebackers: Lavonte David had just three tackles. Grade: D.

Secondary: Quinn Ewers carved up the Bucs. Grade: D-.

Second Half Collapses

2011 0-8 Raheem Morris

1987 0-8 Ray Perkins

1978 0-7 John McKay

1986 1-7 Leeman Bennett

2025 1-7 Todd Bowles

Mayfield's slump continues./KIM HUKARI

Baker's Slide

First 8 games Last 8 Games

6 Wins 1

1919 Yards 1571

13 Tds 12

2 Interceptions 8

98.1 Rating 82.0

Emeka's Slide

Receptions 28 34

Yards 368 562

Tds 1 5

Targets 61 63

Ave. 13 18.7

Baker Stats

Passing yards 3490 12

TD Passes 25 t-7

Interceptions 10 t-39

Rating 90.3 23

Evans goes up for a catch./KIM HUKARI

NFL Stats

Category Player Stat Rank

Rushing Yards Rachaad White 549 35

Receiving Yards Emeka Egbuka 930 18

Tackles Lavonte David 108 34

Field Goalds Chase McLaughlin 29 t-6

Punting Riley Dixon 44.8 29

Rookie Receivers

Tetairoa McMillan 66 929 7

Emeka Egbuka 62 930 6

Luther Burden III 44 617 2

Jayden Higgins 39 502 5

Eric Ayomanor 38 465 4

Power Rankings

  1. New England

2. Denver

3. Seattle

4. Philadelphia

5. San Francisco

Bottom 5

  1. Las Vegas

2. N.Y. Jets

3. Tennessee

4. N.Y. Giants

5. Tampa Bay

5 NFL Stars

  1. Derrick Henry, Baltimore

2. Drake Maye, New England

3. Dak Prescott, Dallas

4. Tyler Shough, New Orleans

5. Brock Purdy, San Francisco

5 NFL Duds

  1. Max Brosmer, Minnesota

2. Chris Oladokun, Kansas City

3. Bryce Young, Carolina

4. Geno Smith, Las Vegas

5. Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay

Dennis tied for lead in tackles Sunday./KIM HUKARI

Bucs' penalty leaders

Luke Goedeke 6 36

Graham Barton 5 49

Tristan Wirfs 4 30

Chris Braswell 4 19

Logan Hall 4 50

Cade Otton 4 25

Bucs' Mock Drafts

ESPN.com Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

Walterfootball.com Will Heidt, DE, Clemson

Foxsports.com Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State

CBS.com Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina

Saturdayblitz.com. Peter Woods, DT, Clemson

Surprise! Bucs beaten once again

by Gary Shelton on December 29, 2025

in general

McMillan follows Godwin's block./KIM HUKARI

Monday, 4 a.m.

Once again, the Bucs lost.

Is anyone surprised?

Lately, it seems all the Bucs do is lose. They are on a nightmare streak, losers of seven of their last eight games. A once-promising season has gone dark. What was once very good has turned very bad, and it doesn't look as if it will get better.

The Bucs lost to a less-than-average Miami team, 20-17, Sunday. The Dolphins were starting a rookie quarterback for the second time. Their defense had given up 45 points last week.

Mayfield suffered turnovers./KIM HUKARI

And they walloped the Bucs, who have now lost seven of eight games.

The Dolphins ran for 145 yards, and newbie Quinn Ewers threw for two touchdowns against a weak Bucs' defense.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield continued his horrible second half, throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble. The Bucs are 0-8 when Mayfield throws an interception. The Bucs also had a field goal blocked, the first time Chase McLaughlin has missed from more than 50 yards(12 attempts).

Oh, Mayfield did throw for 346 yards. Jalen McMillan caught seven passes for 114 yards, Chris Godwin caught seven for 108.

But remember how stubborn the Bucs were in trying to run the ball last week? This time, they ran just 16 times for 53 yards.

For the Bucs, the only positive was that Carolina also lost 27-10 at Seattle. That means the winner of next week's game -- at Tampa Bay's Raymond James Stadium -- wins the NFC South and make the playoffs.

Do they deserve it? Probably not, but teams have backed into the post-season before. A bigger concern is how the Bucs have become an awful team. In their second half, the Bucs compare with the worst teams in the NFL.

The Bucs are home against Carolina Sunday.

Irving was held to 19 yards./KIM HUKARI

Bolts survive to win against Montreal

by Gary Shelton on December 29, 2025

in general

Johansson was strong in net./TIM WIRT

Monday, 3 a.m.

It was a route. Then it was a rally. Then it was a shootout.

And in the end, the suddenly hot Tampa Bay Lightning was still standing.

The Bolts won their fourth straight game at Benchmark International Arena Monday night, surviving a 5-4 shootout against the Montreal Canadiens.

It was a game with different personalities. There was an ensuring rout, where the Bolts sprang to a 3-0 lead after two periods.

Then there was the comeback. Montreal roared back with four third-period goals, the tying goal coming from Juraj Slafkowsky with 3.8 seconds to play.

But goaltender Jonas Johansson stood tall in a scoreless overtime, then stopped all three shootout attempts. For the night, Johansson stopped 32 shots and four power plays.

Gage Goncalves and Brayden Point both scored in the shootout.

Nikita Kucherov scored twice, his second straight two-goal game. Kucherov now has 17 goals.

Nick Paul and Pontus Holmberg also scored for the Bolts.

The Bolts are now tied for first place in the Atlantic Division of the NHL.

The Bolts travel to Anaheim to face the Ducks on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at the Honda Center.

Lightning stands up to Florida’s attack

by Gary Shelton on December 28, 2025

in general

Vasilevskiy was strong in victory./TIM WIRT

Sunday, 4 a.m.

There were so many reasons the Tampa Bay Lightning should have lost Saturday night.

They didn't, which might be the finest compliment you can give a team.

--- They gave up 11 power plays (and killed 10 of them).

-- They had 87 minutes in penalties.

-- They were 0-6 on the power play.

-- The Panthers spent the entire third period attacking the goal.

Despite it all, the Bolts won a 4-2 game against the Florida Panthers. At Amerant Bank Arena. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy was sharp, keeping the Panthers out of the net. Vasilevskiy stopped 24 of 26 shots. He is now 14-7-2 on the season, and 9-2 in his last 11.

The Bolts fell behind 1-0 on a goal by Eetu Luostarinen. But Jake Guentzel tied it on a shorthanded goal. Pontus Holmberg gave the Bolts a 2-1 lead with eight seconds left in the first period.

After that, Nikita Kucherov took over. He scored his 14th goal with 2:31 left in the second period. He added his 15th with 56 seconds left.

"I don't think I’ve ever been a part of a game where one team had double-digit power plays," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "They had 11 power plays. It wasn't like it was game with a 6-7 goal difference. One team was short 11 times."

The Bolts killed off 10 of the pentalties.

Tampa Bay has now won three straight, scoring 14 goals. They lost the three before that, scoring five times.

The Bolts return home to Benchmark International Arena today for a game against Montreal at 5 p.m.

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