Bucs' conservative approach in final minutes backfires vs. Giants

Tampa Bay played it safe, and paid the price.

After owning a three-score lead at halftime Sunday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had let the New York Giants climb back into the game. 

It was 31-28, with less than half of the fourth quarter remaining. The Bucs had mounted a solid drive after a Shaq Barrett strip-sack, giving themselves a 1st-and-goal with a chance to stretch the lead back to two scores.

But instead of targeting Mike Evans, who had three first-half touchdowns, or any of the other pass-catching weapons on their roster, the Bucs went full turtle mode, running three straight times and settling for a fourth field goal from rookie Matt Gay.

It gave the Bucs a six-point lead, and left the door open for Giants rookie quarterback Daniel Jones to mount what would be a game-winning drive.

Still, after Jones did his best Moses impression on 4th-and-goal to give the Giants a one-point lead with just over a minute to play, the Bucs offense had a chance to make a dramatic comeback of their own. Hope turned to near-certainty when Jameis Winston found Evans for a 44-yard strike to set them up with 1st-and-goal yet again, this time with mere seconds remaining.

But instead of taking a shot or two at the end zone, the Bucs took a purposeful delay of game penalty, then took a knee to center the ball for Gay, who had gone 4-for-4 on field goals that day, but had two failed extra points to his credit (though one was blocked).

The "safe" route bit the Bucs yet again, as the rookie fifth-round pick barely missed the kick wide to the right.

After the game, Winston said he had no problems with the conservative approach, citing his confidence in the defense, and their rookie kicker.

"Our defense was playing phenomenal football the last four drives of the game, so we were running," Winston said. "We were very effective running the football, and we have an excellent kicker, so we knew we were going to get some points."

Bucs head coach Bruce Arians credited the Giants defense with giving them an unexpected look that kept them out of the end zone on the next-to-last possession.

"I made the one call. Expected something different, didn't get it," Arians said. "Credit them, they blitzed into the run. We were looking for an option play, and it didn't happen."

Despite making five trips inside the red zone, the Bucs managed just one touchdown from inside the 20, settling for a constant barrage of field goal attempts. 

While most Bucs fans will be blaming their rookie kicker for Sunday's loss, plenty of blame should fall on the more experienced decision-makers who took a conservative approach in the game's final moments, and paid the price with a heart-breaking loss.