There is no way to sugarcoat it: this was a bad, bad game in more ways than one.

I could complain about Todd Bowles’ defense turning into a sieve once again, allowing 41 points in a 41-31 loss to the Ravens.  Or, how Baker Mayfield threw a ton of bad balls that could have resulted in more than his two interceptions.  But that is burying the lead.

The biggest story, by far, is the injuries to superstar wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.  Godwin got hurt in the final minute on a nasty hit and is out for the rest of the season.  Evans hurt his hamstring and won’t be back until after the bye week at the earliest.

The Buccaneers jumped out to a 10-0 lead.  But two plays in the second quarter turned the game around: the injury to Evans on what could have been a touchdown, and Baker Mayfield’s interception in the end zone.  The Ravens got the ball back, went right down the field and scored, and Tampa Bay never fully recovered.

So now what?  With a huge divisional game coming up Sunday against Atlanta, we will see how creative Liam Cohen can get with the puzzle pieces he has.  The remaining receivers are young, but they need to step up big-time.  The Bucs and Falcons are tied for first place in the NFC South.  But Atlanta won the first meeting, so Tampa Bay needs this game badly.

Photo courtesy: Tampa Bay Buccaneers