The Buccaneers moved to a new phase of the offseason this week when they started their workout program under new head coach Todd Bowles, but the way that last season ended hasn’t been totally wiped from the team’s collective memory.
They forced three turnovers in the second half to wipe out a 27-3 deficit and tie the Rams with 42 seconds to play in their Divisional playoff game. They wouldn’t get to overtime, however. Cooper Kupp caught back-to-back passes for 64 yards to set up a game-winning field goal by Matt Gay as time expired.
Linebacker Lavonte David said on Tuesday that the bad taste associated with the ending to that game has not totally dissipated months later and that he thinks memories of it will linger until the two teams play again this season.
“It’s a big motivation, a huge motivation,” David said, via Greg Auman of TheAthletic.com. “I feel like we got us back in that game, and for us to end the game like that, it’s not what we want to be remembered as. We have the majority of our guys coming back again, so we definitely have to take another huge leap this year. That taste is definitely going to be in our mouth for a while. I believe we play them in the regular season. Not trying to say we’re going to circle that game, but it’s a game that obviously is going to be very important.”
The Rams will be visiting the Bucs at some point in the regular season and it seems likely that the history between the clubs will make that a marquee matchup when the schedule is announced later this year.