On Thursday evening, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosted the Baltimore Ravens looking for a win in order to get themselves back on track.
They looked good early, as they took a 10-0 lead, but it evaporated as Lamar Jackson and company bore down and asserted their will as the contest wore on.
Baltimore emerged victorious, 27-22, improving to 5-3 while Tom Brady and crew dropped to a 3-5 record.
Bucs fans expressed their disgust on Twitter as their team lost its third game in a row.
Brady’s doing his best to dig this sorry team out of the mud but they insist on staying down there. #Buccaneers
— Jack Warwick (@jwarwick2099) October 28, 2022
when? pic.twitter.com/X0AhlWQ3CV
— matt (@OCPDesigns) October 28, 2022
Don’t tweet again until it’s this pic.twitter.com/ot6PsyAyAJ
— James (@jxmes123) October 28, 2022
What is going on with the Bucs, a team that won the Super Bowl just two years ago?
Concern In Tampa
Their offense looks bogged down, and it appears Brady has declined somewhat, as he went 26 of 44 on Thursday for a passer rating of just 89.7.
But their defense appeared equally anemic, as it gave up 231 rushing yards to Baltimore and allowed Jackson to complete 27 of 38 passes, including two touchdown passes.
Unheralded rookie tight end Isaiah Likely had the game of his life with 77 yards and a touchdown, while wide receiver Demarcus Robinson had a season-high of 64 yards.
The Ravens are now in first place in the AFC North, and a very favorable schedule could allow them to emerge as dark horse championship contenders by this winter.
@Lj_era8 beat the 🐐 @TomBrady on the road, on a short week, without his number 1 receiver. I hope @Mandrews_81 is back 100% healthy soon. I loved the way the ball was spread around tonight. We loaded! #superbowl Ravens beat Eagles 31-10
— Raymond Quick (@richestmob) October 28, 2022
They still have plenty of work to do, especially in a conference that includes the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs, as well as two out-of-this-world quarterbacks in Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes.
But if Baltimore keeps winning and improves its defense, it could have a puncher’s chance at going all the way, especially given how unpredictable this NFL season has been.
NEXT: Ravens Have Made Embarrassing History To Start The Season