TAMPA, Fla. First, a history lesson, one that those Green Bay Packers fans demanding coach Mike McCarthys firing in the wake of Sundays 38-28 loss to the previously winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium you know who you are might find interesting.
After all, Sunday was all about history for the Buccaneers, from their Creamsicle-orange throwback uniforms; to the resurrection of winking, mustachioed pirate Bucco Bruce, replete with feather plumed hat and dagger in his mouth; to the funky 70s music blaring during breaks in the action.
Now, admittedly, the Buccaneers were actually celebrating their 1979 playoff team and the induction of Hall of Fame defensive end Lee Roy Selmon into Raymond James Stadiums new ring of honor. But lets instead go back to 1977, when the expansion team was mired in a 26-game losing streak.
After losing all 14 games in their inaugural season of 1976 and losing the first 12 in 77, the Buccaneers first victory was a 33-14 triumph at the Louisiana Superdome over the Hank Stram-coached New Orleans Saints in the second-to-last game of the year. The following week, at home against the Don Coryell-coached St. Louis Cardinals, the Buccaneers won again, 17-7.
And what happened to Stram and Coryell?
They both got fired after the 3-11 Saints and 7-7 Cardinals seasons ended.
Now, no one not in this space, anyway is suggesting that McCarthy deserves a similar fate after the 4-4 Packers lost to an 0-7 Buccaneers team that had lost 11 in a row dating back to last year and had rookie quarterback Josh Freeman making his first NFL start. But the point is the same: This was the kind of game a coach simply cannot lose. And McCarthy and the Packers did.
We should have won this game, veteran cornerback Al Harris repeated over and over. Weve got to win the games were supposed to win. We should have won this game.
On Wednesday, McCarthy essentially said so himself. Everybody looks at numbers, you look at film, you look at their final scores, and you think. Well, we should win this game, he said. It's a terrible mindset to even talk about. I can't believe I'm even talking about it or saying it. But it's the reality of your business.
On Sunday, the reality was that the Packers did all the things they couldnt afford to do, allowing an inferior opponent to hang around:
> They turned the ball over on three Aaron Rodgers interceptions, the first of which was returned 36 yards by cornerback Elbert Mack to the Packers 8-yard line to set up the Bucs first touchdown, and the last of which was returned 35 yards by safety Tanard Jackson for the defeat-clinching touchdown;
> They were horrible on special teams, allowing a blocked punt by Geno Hayes which was returned 31 yards by Ronde Barber for one touchdown, and an 83-yard kickoff return by Clifton Smith to set up another TD;
> Their defense failed to generate pressure on a rookie QB, managing just one sack, while allowing the offensively-challenged Buccaneers to score touchdowns on each of their three visits to the red zone;
> And their offensive line allowed a whopping six sacks running their NFL-leading season total to 37, more than they gave up all of last year to a Buccaneers team that came in with just 11 sacks on the season (even fewer than the rush-challenged Packers, with 12, had before Sunday).
We did not take the team lightly at all because of the record. I was very concerned coming into this game, McCarthy said, adding that the coaches may have overworked the players with the Buccaneers coming off their bye week while the Packers were coming off a loss to NFC North-leading Minnesota. We wanted to be 5-3 at the halfway point. (Instead) we're 4-4 and we've got to make up some ground.
We need to rebound. I've been asked if we can rebound from Minnesota. Hell, we've got to rebound from Tampa Bay."
Asked if this is the low point of his four-year tenure as Packers coach, McCarthy replied, Low point? It doesn't feel good. It never feels good when you lose. This one definitely hurts. It'll definitely rank up in there, but it's still one loss. I'm not trying to downplay it. I'm disappointed in the way we played today. I'm disappointed in the way we didn't sustain momentum in the game because that's something we've done now two weeks in a row. So that's something we need to look at. We have some re-occurring problems that we have not cleaned up yet. That's definitely cause for concern as we move forward."
Things couldnt have started off much better. After the Buccaneers went three-and-out, Rodgers checked to a pass at the line of scrimmage and rainbowed a perfect throw to a streaking James Jones down the right sideline for a 74-yard touchdown on the Packers second offensive play.
We said we wanted to start fast and knock the air out of the stadium, show them its not going to be a game and we definitely did that, Jones said. But we didnt finish.
On the Packers next play after another Buccaneers punt, Rodgers threw late down the middle for Donald Driver, not seeing Mack lurking. Two plays later, Freeman found Derrick Ward for a 6-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7-7.
The Packers methodically marched down the field en route to a 2-yard Ryan Grant touchdown run to reclaim the lead at 14-7, only to see fullback John Kuhn blow his assignment as Hayes blow past him to block Jeremy Kapinos punt, with Barber scooping it up for the game-tying TD.
Again, the Packers answered with another touchdown this time a 32-yard Rodgers-to-Driver strike but their next two possessions ended in punts, allowing the Buccaneers to pull within 21-17 just before halftime on Connor Barths 38-yard field goal.
After a pair of punts sandwiched around Rodgers second INT, the Packers seemed to finally seize control when, on third-and-goal from the Tampa Bay 12-yard line, Rodgers took off on a spectacular run, absorbing hits from linebacker Barrett Ruud and safety Sabby Piscitelli at the goal line on his way to the touchdown and a 28-17 lead.
Two-score lead thats kind of what we were going for, said Rodgers, who came in as the leagues top-rated passer but had his worst statistical day of the season (17-for-35, 266 yards, three INTs, two TDs, 57.6 rating). Unfortunately, we gave up a big kick return that kind of stole the momentum back.
Indeed, the kickoff coverage unit squandered the momentum, allowing Smiths 83-yard return, which set up Freemans 7-yard TD strike to tight end Kellen Winslow. While the 2-point conversion attempt failed, the Bucs were within 28-23 with 11:34 to play.
Its always the same problems, week after week, and thats what you want to get out of, said cornerback Tramon Williams, who finally tackled Smith at the Packers 17. Its week after week, and you get tired of hearing it. By the time you stop hearing it, the seasons over and its a bad season.
When the Packers got the ball back, Grant (three carries, 16 yards) and Ahman Green (three carries, 14 yards, including a 2-yard gain to break the franchises all-time career rushing record) were able to eat up about four minutes of clock, but on third-and-5 from midfield, Rodgers missed tight end Spencer Havner across the middle, forcing a punt.
The Bucs went right down the field after that, starting the drive with Winslows 22-yard catch; keeping it going when an A.J. Hawk interception was wiped out by Hawks illegal contact penalty; moving into scoring range when wide receiver Mark Clayton beat Al Harris on a wind-aided 29-yard completion on third-and-7; and capping the drive with Freemans 7-yard TD to Sammie Stroughter against dime back Jarrett Bush on fourth-and-4. Freeman then hit Clayton for the 2-point conversion and a 31-28 lead.
Weve all been putting in a lot of work and really havent been seeing a lot of results. Its just a big load off a lot of peoples shoulders, said Freeman, who finished 14-for-31 for 205 yards, with three touchdowns, one interception and an 86.1 rating. Thats why I play football I want to win games. Thats the mindset all the guys on the team have. Its great to come out and have the opportunity to get the ball to our playmakers and let them do what they do score touchdowns.
After a touchback on the ensuing kickoff, Rodgers dropped back and was sacked for a 7-yard loss, and when he scrambled for a first down on third-and-6, the play was wiped out by a Daryn Colledge holding penalty, leading to a punt.
The defense held, giving Rodgers the ball back at his own 13-yard line with 1:35 left and one timeout, but after Jones dropped a pass on first down, Colledge was beaten by Stylez G. White on a stunt for a 9-yard sack, leaving the Packers with third-and-19 from their own 4. On fourth-and-12, Rodgers overshot Driver, and the ball ricocheted into the hands of Jackson, whose pick-six cinched the game.
They just stuck around, stuck around, stuck around on us, and eventually, they pulled it off, Packers nose tackle Ryan Pickett said. Any loss is hard, but this one is hard. We just didnt finish them off. A good team is able to put teams away in the second half. And we didnt do that.