The Bucs limp out of L.A. with a Foxborough reunion looming

Crosshairs firmly on our backs

There is something to be said for an opponent gearing all their efforts for almost a year just to beat you. That’s basically what the Rams have been doing when it came to personnel moves over this past year. They didn’t have to make many; most of them were in-house free agent signings. The biggest overall, of course, was the acquisition of Matt Stafford from Detroit. Stafford was the perfect fit for his offense in Sean McVay’s eyes, so the Rams went all-in on their pursuit of the Lions’ veteran, trading two first-round picks, a third-rounder, and Goff as well as paying $24.7 million in dead money. It was a huge price to pay for a 33-year-old quarterback, but one that unequivocally made the Rams better. While it’s true that the Rams beat the Bucs last season 27-24, the Rams knew the Bucs were a different team at the end of last season. This game was supposed to be a prelude to a possible NFC Championship game by season’s end. If so, McVay and his team should be feeling pretty good about themselves at this moment.

Complacency, lack of hunger?

Sunday’s game was almost like a tale of two teams heading in different directions. The Rams were pumped for the game, and the atmosphere at SoFi Stadium was electric. The Bucs, on the other hand, seemed sluggish at times— especially on the defense. The Bucs—playing without Sean Murphy-Bunting —seemed like they didn’t want to be there. At the very least, the Bucs couldn’t match the Rams’ intensity level, which resulted in the game not being as close as the score might indicate. Make no mistake about it the Rams dominated this game. The loss broke the Buc’s winning streak, which was at a franchise record best of 10. Coming away, the Bucs just didn’t seem hungry. The Rams, however, appeared to be starving. This was the kind of game that the Buccaneers needed to be able to run the ball. The team has capable running backs, but this is a passing team from the get-go — establishing the running game hasn’t seemed to have been a priority. At times that can hurt you, Sunday it did.

An awkward return to Foxboro

They say that Bill Belichick is one of the greatest coaches in NFL History. His winning record, division, conference, and overall NFL titles bear that. When it comes to the shelf-life of the Greatest Quarterback of All-Time, Belichick got it all so wrong. Having spent so much time around his quarterback for 20 years, you would think that the veteran coach would have had a gauge on his quarterback, Tom Brady’s fuel tank, and what he had left in it. For whatever reason, the stoic coach must have believed that Tom Brady was approaching his expiration date, or close to it. However, Brady himself knew he had more playing time left in him and made it known to the Buccaneers that he would like to continue his career in Tampa. We all know how that is turning out. It is surprising that Belichick misgauged his twenty-year starter the way he did and allowed the GOAT to move on. It is even more surprising that Belichick didn’t have a capable, viable replacement to run his offense already waiting in the wings. Instead, he went with free agent Cam Newton and finished last season with a losing record of 7-9 — something the Patriots haven’t had since Tom Brady took over. It’s a given that Belichick upset a boatload of Patriots fans by allowing their favorite son to leave—similarly to the way he did Cleveland Browns fans when he sent Bernie Kosar packing.

A hero’s welcome

There is no doubt that Brady, as well as Gronk, will receive a hero’s welcome when they return to their old stomping grounds. They are still much loved in New England, and that should show when they step back onto the field in Gilette Stadium next Sunday evening. This game should be a cakewalk, but leave it to Belichick to throw in some wrinkles. This game, I’m sure, has been marked on many a Patriot fan’s calendars since the schedule was announced. Let’s hope that Gilette Stadium remains Brady and Gronk’s stomping grounds like the days of old. Our Bucs could use a nice win, and there’s no coach I would assume that Brady would love more to hand an L to than Belichick.