Tampa Bay is 0-4 this season, and every single one of those losses has been a one-possession game. This isn’t just a slow start; dating back to December 2025, the Bucs are a brutal 1-8, with every single one of those games also being a one-possession contest. You can slice it any way you want, but losing eight of nine games by an average margin of less than four points shows a team in a full-on freefall, with absolutely no landing in sight.
The Agony of the Near Miss
This isn’t figure skating, folks, where you get points for trying. The NFL is about getting the job done, and the Bucs just aren’t. The latest gut punch came Sunday, a 17-14 loss to a Green Bay team that’s also clearly struggling. Even with the Packers practically handing them opportunities, like holding the ball with four minutes left down a field goal, Tampa Bay simply couldn’t close it out. Head coach Todd Bowles said it plain: “We didn’t get it done.” He knows the drill, “We’ve been here a couple weeks now at the end of the ballgames, and we’re not finishing. We’ve got to find a way to finish the game.” You bet they do.
Rookie QB Under Fire and the Truth About “Execution”
Part of the mess is definitely the quarterback situation. Baker Mayfield is sidelined for at least two more games with a thumb injury, meaning rookie Jalon Daniels is suddenly under center. His first NFL start wasn’t a total disaster: 19-for-27 passing for 148 yards, one clutch touchdown pass to Kenny Gainwell, but also two interceptions. All things considered, it wasn’t a terrible performance, but when the rest of the team, especially that offensive line, is so ineffective, you need your QB to be way more than “not terrible.” That’s a massive ask for a guy just four weeks into his pro career.
Bowles isn’t sugarcoating it with any of that “we know what kind of team we are” nonsense. He’s looking at the cold, hard facts. The Bucs and Packers had pretty much equal numbers everywhere: 275 total yards to Green Bay’s 283, two turnovers apiece, and almost identical time of possession at 30:10 to 29:50. Yet, when it mattered most, the Bucs couldn’t make the plays. “We can’t keep getting close and not winning. That’s not good enough,” Bowles stated. He’s right. “Our record says what we are. We’re 0-4, and until we acknowledge that, and we correct our own mistakes, it’s going to keep happening.” The real talk from Bowles cuts straight to it: “It’s not the energy, it’s the execution.” This team needs to do the damn job.
There’s blame to go around, from the front office maybe not having a more seasoned backup plan than Daniels, all the way down to the micro decisions on the field. The Bucs aren’t just losing, they’re losing heartbreakingly close games, over and over. The challenge now is huge: acknowledge the 0-4 reality, correct the mistakes, and find that elusive execution to finally get a win. It’s the only way out of this freefall.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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