The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense has been frustrating. They have been ravaged by injuries, which is a misfortune in football, but they have generally not performed well throughout the year.
By Team rankingsTampa Bay’s defensive unit is 28th in opposing yards per game (368.5), and for a time it was one of the bottom five teams in points allowed and touchdowns per game. The latter two stats have shrunk, now sitting at 22nd and 19th respectively, but the defense still had to perform better in certain situations after the bye week – even though the team has yet to lose since then .
And of course, this standard is also upheld by everyone in the building, including the offensive players. So when the Buccaneers needed a big stop against the Las Vegas Raiders and couldn’t get it, one of the team’s veteran leaders would make his voice heard.
CBS sideline reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala spoke about a specific incident that occurred on Sunday when she was a sideline reporter for the Buccaneers-Raiders. On a crucial 4th-and-5 play with about six minutes left, quarterback Desmond Ridder passed the ball to wideout Jakobi Meyers, who managed to escape a tackle from cornerback Jamel Dean and recover the first to keep the workout alive. The play went right in front of veteran Mike Evans, and according to Kinkhabwala, he wasn’t happy with the conversion.
“I saw Mike Evans on the Bucs sideline yesterday throwing his helmet and yelling at his defense trying to get the most out of him,” Kinkhabwala said, according to JoeBucsFan.
Veteran leaders are expected to step up and cheer on their team, and while throwing the helmet might be a little aggressive, it’s understandable why Evans wants it. And it may have worked – the score was 21-10 at that point, and the defense managed to hold the Raiders to a field goal to make it 21-13. Las Vegas would not score any more points thereafter and the Bucs won the game 28-13.
Evans getting a little fired up attests to the level the Bucs have for themselves. And they’ll have to play it this weekend when they travel to Los Angeles to take on the 8-5 Chargers at SoFi Stadium.
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