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Buccaneers Fall 44-32 to Bills as Bowles Blasts Special Teams and Defends 4th-and-2 Punt

Postgame remarks sharpen scrutiny of Tampa Bay's special teams, game management.

Overview

  • Head coach Todd Bowles said kickoff coverage and field position "killed" the Buccaneers, calling the special teams performance "not very good."
  • Bowles stood by a fourth-quarter decision to punt on 4th-and-2 while trailing by five with 7:28 left, saying there was plenty of time and he wanted to avoid a short field.
  • Baker Mayfield accepted responsibility for a third-quarter interception in Bucs territory that he said swung momentum to Buffalo.
  • The turnover preceded a Josh Allen strike that set up a James Cook touchdown, flipping a 26-24 Tampa Bay lead into a 31-26 Buffalo advantage.
  • Mayfield finished 16-of-28 for 173 yards with one touchdown as recurring special teams issues and back-to-back losses heighten pressure heading into the Rams game.