The Good, Bad and Ugly from Buccaneers' 34-7 loss to Rams

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were embarrassed on Sunday Night Football, falling to the Los Angeles Rams 34-7 in a game where they were outmatched, outcoached, and outplayed.

To add literal insult to injury, quarterback Baker Mayfield was injured in the waning seconds of the second quarter and was ruled out for the second half of the game. Mayfield was announced to have injured his left shoulder and was seen on the sideline in a sling in the third quarter.

Teddy Bridgewater would come in to try to lead the comeback charge, but it was futile as the Bucs couldn’t get any consistency stringing together drives. The defense was torched in the first half, but settled in as the game went on. An inability to finish drives on third down, combined with an inept pass rush, has hurt the Bucs over the past few weeks. The Bucs need to get healthy in the worst way, but there's no bye week on the horizon, and now their star quarterback is banged up.

Sitting at 6-5, the Bucs could find themselves in second place in the division if the Panthers can beat the 49ers on Monday Night Football. The Arizona Cardinals come to Tampa Bay in what starts a three-game homestand for the Bucs, where they need to get back on track. They should get Bucky Irving back in the lineup, and there's a chance Haason Reddick and Ben Bredeson make it back as well. But none of it matters if Mayfield’s not at the helm. Here are the good, bad, and ugly from the Bucs' ugly loss to the Rams.

The Good

OLB Yaya Diaby

It’s hard to find good in such a pitiful performance. However, Diaby notched the Bucs' only sack of the night and worked through double teams to give some sort of consistent pressure from Matthew Stafford's blind side. He added a quarterback hit on a 4th & 4 play in the second half and desperately needs Haason Reddick to come back from injury to continue to improve on a solid season.

WR Tez Johnson

Johnson continues to outplay his draft status as he made several big plays, including the first and only points for the Bucs in the game. His touchdown came in the second quarter on a 14-yard pass. Johnson also secured a huge third-down conversion during the Bucs' two-minute drill before the half.

The Bad

Explosive plays

The Bucs once again let explosive plays decide the game. While they only allowed three, they all directly led to scores for the Rams. The first went for 37 yards on a second-down pass from Stafford to Puka Nacua. Five plays later, including an 18-yard grab on 3rd and 18 by Nacua, the Rams scored the first points of the game. On Los Angeles’ third drive of the game, they made quick work of the Bucs defense, scoring in just four plays. A 24-yard grab by Nacua was followed two plays later with a 24-yard grab of his own by Davante Adams, his going for the score.

TE Cade Otton

It was a rough night for Otton. Late in the first quarter, as the Bucs were looking to respond to a Rams touchdown drive, Mayfield hit Otton in stride for what should’ve been a first down. However, he bobbled the pass, which was stolen and run back for a 50-yard score by cornerback Cobie Durant. He had a bad whiff on a block on that would’ve sprung Emeka Egbuka free for a big gain on a screen pass and had a bad drop on a two-minute drive before half.

LT Tristan Wirfs

This was not Wirfs’ best game. He allowed two sacks on the night and struggled to contain Jared Verse at times. On his first sack, Wirfs ran Verse upfield, but he worked back to the pocket where Mayfield was still holding onto the ball and brought him down for the loss. His second came on fourth and three with the Bucs at the 13-yard line. Wirfs wasn't alone, as the offensive line as a unit struggled to gain any consistent traction in the run game or protection in the pass game.

Pass Rush

Outside of Diaby’s sack in the first quarter, the Bucs' pass rush was non-existent, failing to get to Stafford. Diaby was able to generate pressure at times, but the Rams locked down the interior, and Anthony Nelson and Chris Braswell couldn’t find traction. The Bucs need Haason Reddick to return in the worst way, as they have suffered in his absence.

Pass Protection

The Bucs’ offensive line was tasked with blocking one of the most aggressive defensive fronts in the league. The Rams came in with the league's highest pressure rate and third-highest pass rush win rate and flexed that muscle on Sunday Night Football.

The Rams' defense got to the quarterback four times with Jared Verse and Kobie Turner notching two sacks apiece, but the pressure came from everywhere. Mayfield and Bridgewater had no time to throw and little space to maneuver. The Bucs need Bredeson back in the worst way and to figure out some sort of solution at right guard. It was not Wirfs’ best day, and Goedeke got flagged for a hold on Byron Young, who he otherwise mostly held in check.

The Ugly

CB Zyon McCollum

To say it was a rough day for Zyon McCollum would be an understatement.

While he cleaned up his play in the second half, the first one is something he’d like to forget. The Rams victimized him early on the first drive, with him surrendering coverage on Puka Nacua’s 18-yard reception to move the sticks on third down. A few plays later at the goal line, tasked with outside contain on Davante Adams, the veteran receiver fooled him with a crafty release, and he allowed the one-yard score.

McCollum was the target of more abuse on the Rams' third drive when he was beaten again by Adams for the 24-yard score to give the Rams a commanding 21-0 lead. Overall, he allowed seven receptions on eight targets, an underthrown touchdown that was dropped by Adams, 99 yards and two touchdowns.

Baker Mayfield's Injury

Injuries have derailed the Buccaneers at nearly every position this season, so why wouldn’t the quarterback be any different? Already battling through knee and oblique injuries and whatever other ailments that are not reported, Mayfield was knocked out of the second half of the Bucs' loss to the Rams with a shoulder injury.

Baker was shown after the half with his injured left shoulder in a sling, adding concern to any long-term ramifications. Head coach Todd Bowles said after the game that he suffered a shoulder sprain and would be getting an MRI on Monday, but Teddy Bridgewater will step in until he’s healthy. Bowles said Mayfield hurt his shoulder earlier in the game, but said he was fine. Where Mayfield seemed to really injure it was on his Hail Mary attempt right before the half, where he dropped to the turf in pain. The Bucs can not afford to lose Mayfield for an extended period of time, especially with the Panthers hot on their tail.

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