Be honest. You were like Joe.
When the Seahawks had the ball with the game tied in the final minute. You thought Seattle was going to get into field goal range and kick a game-winning field goal as time ran out.
Come on. Come clean. You were in full dread like “this Joe,” weren’t you?
Everyone in the Lumen Field thought so. The crowd roared and stomped to such a degree, the press box was shaking. Joe felt the vibration. Others sitting near Joe did, too.
And then, when the Bucs needed it the most, needed someone, anyone to make a play, for the love of Lee Roy Selmon, leave it to arguably the two best players on defense, Lavonte David, who should someday be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield.
Winfield came flying in on Sam Darnold, who looked like Payton Manning today. He threw for 341 yards and four touchdown passes. The Bucs had no answers.
Until the end.
It only took one.
Winfield flew into Darnold and David, who Joe spoke with after the game, is convinced Winfield affected Darnold’s throw.
> “I think it was tipped,” David told Joe. “I believe so. Not sure.”
It was. Someone buy Logan Hall a hat for that big noggin. Darnold’s hurried pass (thanks to Winfield) glanced Hall’s helmet and obviously affected the trajectory.
And old man Lavonte was there to clean up the mess.
That play changed the game, no question. And Joe thinks the Bucs stole a win as a result. The Bucs did not play their best. They were not healthy. The defense was a sieve — until the end. But they rolled into the Great Northwest, the polar opposite of the country, came in and stole a win against a good team in their crib with the crowd, as Al Michaels would say, at full throat.
Damn, the Bucs have been riddled with injuries like Joe cannot remember. And here they are 4-1.
Let’s have a drink!