The up-and-down Buccaneers are back down.  And they’re no longer leading the NFC South.

They lost to the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, 26-24.  It was a disappointing effort after the eye-popping victory in L.A. the week before.

Why did the Bucs lose this game?  Dropped passes.  No pass rush.  Horrible pass defense (again), especially in the first half.  Turnovers.  Questionable coaching decisions.  I could go on, but those are the biggest ones.

The Bucs are 0-4 in primetime games this season.  Todd Bowles is 3-7 in night games as Tampa Bay’s head coach.  Let those numbers sink in.  This team is not ready for prime-time.  Oh, and they made another backup quarterback (Cooper Rush) look like a superstar, particularly in the first half.

This team is so inconsistent.  They’ve beaten the Eagles, Lions, Commanders and Chargers.  They’ve also lost to the Cowboys and 49ers.

So now what?  For starters, the Buccaneers need to win their last 2 games.  They need the Falcons to lose 1 of their last 2.  That’s the simplest explanation.  Both teams are 8-7, but the Falcons have the tiebreaker because they beat the Bucs twice.

Photo courtesy: Tampa Bay Buccaneers