The Buccaneers seemingly emerged from a five-losses-in-six-games run by winning two in a row. And then, just as it appeared they’d found their groove, they blew a late lead against the Browns and lost in overtime.
It was the first time a Tom Brady team had ever blown a seven-point lead and lost in the final minute. Previously, he was 218-0 in those situations.
Appearing on the Buccaneers Radio Network, coach Todd Bowles seemed to suggest that it’s primarily for Brady and other team leaders to turn it around.
“It’s a players team,” Bowles said, via JoeBucsFan.com. “Every team that has winners that wins is a players team. . . .
“The leaders lead and everybody else follows. So it’s time for our leaders to lead and step up. And everybody else has to follow, and make plays. Not just lead but make plays. And show them by example, show them by being vocal, show them by how they practice. And they’ve been doing that for the most part but, you know, we can’t piss away any more ball games sort of speak. So it’s time for us to step up and make plays. We got six games left until we’ve got to get in the tournament.”
The Bucs remain the most likely choice to win the NFC South, primarily because the other three teams are even farther under .500 than Tampa Bay. The real question is whether the Bucs can string together wins in the tournament, if they get there.
