The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had control. A 28-14 fourth-quarter lead in a must-win divisional game.
And then, in a blink, it was gone. A 29-28 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football didn’t just sting-it cracked something deeper.
The kind of collapse that doesn’t just hurt in the standings, but in the locker room, in the fanbase, and in the identity of a team trying to find itself.
But while frustration poured in from every direction-fans demanding answers, fingers pointed at the sidelines-former Bucs captain Gerald McCoy had a different message. And it was one the team needed to hear.
“We can’t just say Todd Bowles, Todd Bowles,” McCoy posted on social media, stepping into the conversation not just as a former player, but as a voice of reason. He wasn’t shielding Bowles from criticism-far from it.
What McCoy was doing was widening the lens. “At some point we have to say ok when do we look at the players,” he added.
That’s not deflection. That’s leadership.
That’s a guy who’s been in that locker room, who knows what it means to wear that jersey, saying: coaching matters, but so does execution. So does preparation.
So does heart in the fourth quarter when the game is slipping away.
The loss dropped Tampa Bay to 7-7-an even record that feels a lot heavier than it looks. This was their fifth defeat in six games after a promising 6-2 start.
And now, the NFC South is wide open. The Carolina Panthers are suddenly in position to leapfrog the Bucs, and if Carolina handles business against the Saints on Sunday, Tampa Bay could lose control of its postseason destiny.
Todd Bowles didn’t sugarcoat it. The usually composed head coach didn’t hold back after the game.
He didn’t point to play-calling or missed opportunities. He pointed to effort.
Focus. Urgency.
His message was clear: this wasn’t about X’s and O’s. This was about who wanted it more when it mattered most.
And that’s the part that stings. Because the Bucs had it.
They had the game. And then they didn’t.
Still, if you’re looking for a sliver of hope, history offers a familiar thread. This is the third time in four seasons that a Bowles-led Bucs team has hovered around .500 after Week 15.
The last two times? They found a way to win the division.
So yes, the path is still there. Beat Carolina twice.
Handle business. Silence the noise.
But let’s be clear: the margin for error is gone. There are no more moral victories.
No more lessons to learn. Just games to win.
This team now faces a defining moment. Do they regroup and respond like a team with playoff pedigree? Or do they let another fourth quarter write their story?
The answer starts now.