The Tampa Bay Buccaneers scored a go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter and appeared ready to boost their road record with an ugly win. However, the Buffalo Bills rallied with a touchdown and a game-winning field goal to win 30-27 at New Era Field in Orchard Park, New York.The Buccaneers have lost two games in a row and are 2-4 in 2017. They take on the reeling Carolina Panthers next week.
Week Seven Tampa Bay Buccaneers Takeaways
Bills Win Battle of Field Goals
The game was a high scoring affair with 57 combined points between the Bills and the Buccaneers but it ended up being decided by the kicking game. Adam Humphries fumbled the football after an eight yard catch at the Buccaneers 25-yard line with 2:28 remaining in the game. The Bills milked the clock and former Seattle Seahawks kicker Steven Hauschka hit a game-winning 30-yard field goal with 18 seconds left in the game.
It was Hauschka’s third field goal of the game in four attempts, which included a made 52-yard field goal. Patrick Murray of the Buccaneers also had two field goals in the first quarter, with his first being a 50-yard field goal. It was Murray’s first attempt of his career after converting his first extra point attempt last week against the Arizona Cardinals.
Deonte Thompson Was the Player of the Game
Bills wide receiver Deonte Thompson came out of nowhere in a passing offense that was trying to find an answer without the injured Charles Clay, a hampered Jordan Matthews and a wildly ineffective Zay Jones. This appeared to be one of the easier match ups coming up on the schedule for a struggling Buccaneers secondary, but one of their corner backs Robert McClain would have a different experience after trying to cover Thompson.
LeSean McCoy led the Bills with five receptions, but Thompson had the most receiving yards in the game with 107 yards. He also brought the Bills back from the brink of defeat. The Buccaneers had just completed what looked like a game deciding drive that went for 54 yards on 10 plays in about six minutes. The Buccaneers went ahead 27-20 on a 12-yard touchdown catch by Mike Evans. With just over three minutes remaining in the game, Tyrod Taylor‘s first pass of the drive went to Thompson for 44 yards and the Bills were instantly in Buccaneers territory. A touchdown run by McCoy to tie the game converted the drive in just three plays.
Buccaneers Could Not Stop the Run
The Buccaneers couldn’t establish the run in the first quarter and then couldn’t stop the run in the second quarter. The Buccaneers nearly allowed 200 yards last week to Adrian Peterson but this week they couldn’t figure out the triple threat of the Bills. McCoy ran for two touchdowns and 91 rushing yards on 23 carries. Taylor ran for 53 yards on six attempts. The Bills also ran the hefty fullback Mike Tolbert for three carries and 29 yards. The Buccaneers defensive line was no match for the interior offensive line of the Bills featuring guards Richie Incognito and John Miller and center Eric Wood.
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