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BY IRA KAUFMAN
They call it Stormy Monday …
The Bucs were beaten decisively by the Lions in a 24-9 setback that was not unexpected. Detroit rarely loses back-to-back games under Dan Campbell and Tampa Bay was due for a letdown.
No big deal.
Then Mike Evans went down with a broken clavicle that could sideline him for the remainder of the regular season.
Very big deal.
Evans’ 1,000-yard streak will end after 11 seasons and, more importantly for the franchise, Baker Mayfield’s big-play target won’t contribute as the Bucs try to hold off the Falcons and the surging Panthers in the NFC South.
Unless Tampa Bay flops in the Big Easy, the Bucs will be 6-2 at the bye week. That would be a heck of a record considering all the injuries — and you have to figure Bucky Irving will be back for the New England matchup Nov. 9.
He can’t return soon enough because the Bucs couldn’t run worth a lick at Ford Field, falling behind 14-0 and asking Mayfield to throw 50 passes.
The Lions have Super Bowl aspirations of their own and they have the stars to get it done. Jahmyr Gibbs, Penei Sewell, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Aidan Hutchinson all made the NFL’s Top 100 list last season and the Bucs had no answers for Gibbs, who accounted for 136 yards on the ground and another 82 through the air.
Gibbs proved to be a very difficult matchup for a Bowles pass defense that has struggled bringing down running backs in the flat. St. Brown enjoyed a big opening quarter, Sewell was his usual stalwart at right tackle and the Bucs tried an array of blockers against Hutchinson, who came off the left edge with fury and a non-stop motor.
The officials didn’t do the Bucs any favors, but you can’t blame the zebras for Detroit’s 275-58 advantage in total yards before intermission.
Mayfield wasn’t sharp from the jump. When he had ample time, he missed open receivers, often throwing too high. He caught a break when Tristan Wirfs fell on Mayfield’s fumble, but the Bucs averaged only 3.9 yards per pass attempt compared to 6.5 yards for Jared Goff.
By the end of the game, Mayfield was barking at the officials. The truth is he didn’t play well and his targets didn’t help by ending up in the same general area on several occasions.
Detroit’s offense didn’t do much in the second half but the damage had already been done as Gibbs raced 78 yards for one score and twisted in from five yards out to put the Lions ahead 21-9 in the third quarter after Tez Johnson caught a 22-yard TD pass from Mayfield.
The loss ruined Tampa Bay’s 3-0 road mark and the Bucs will head to New Orleans on a short week. The winless Jets are the only team in the league with a worse record than the 1-6 Saints, so there are no excuses for a Tampa Bay team hoping to regroup following the bye week.
Here’s how the Lions rebounded from a disappointing evening in KC and sent the Bucs home in a foul mood.
Rough night for playcaller Josh Grizzard, writes Ira Kaufman.
* Don’t be fooled by the final score — the Buc defense played well enough to win this matchup. The Lions entered the game averaging 32 points, second in the league, and Tampa Bay’s offense kept handing the ball back to Detroit in the first half. How bad was it? The first seven possessions for the Bucs ended with five punts, a fumble and an interception.
* Second-year safety Tykee Smith continues to shine, registering a game-high 13 stops, a sack and two tackles for loss.
* Gibbs doesn’t need much room to make defenders look silly, but the Bucs had no gap integrity on a 78-yard run that put Detroit up 14-0. Take away that disastrous snap and the Lions would have averaged 2.8 yards per carry.
* The Lions owned a huge advantage in big plays. Six of Detroit’s snaps went for 24 yards or more, with Gibbs accounting for four of them. Tampa Bay’s only play that topped 22 yards was Mayfield’s 30-yard strike to rookie Emeka Egbuka, who caught only four of the 12 passes Mayfield sent his way.
* Bowles made an aggressive decision that backfired early in the fourth quarter with the Bucs trailing 21-9. Instead of ordering a punt, the Bucs let Mayfield face fourth-and-4 from his own 37. Officials initially ruled Cade Otton had stretched for a first down after a reception over the middle, but the call was reversed on replay. Four plays later, the Lions kicked a 58-yard FG to go up 15 points.
* Mayfield threw 34 passes in the second half alone as Josh Grizzard abandoned a ground game that finished with only 41 yards. Yes, it was a lousy night for both the quarterback and the offensive coordinator.
* Another game and another pick for Jamel Dean. He has three on the season after intercepting only eight passes in his first 82 pro games.
* It was a disappointing evening for Sterling Shepard. Besides his fumble, Shepard gained only 25 yards on his seven catches. Rachaad White was also stymied as a target, with his four receptions generating only six yards.
* Riley Dixon did a nice job, placing four of his six punts inside the Lions 20-yard line.
* By all measures, the Bucs deserved to lose this one. It marked their fewest points since a 26-7 loss to Denver in Week 3 last year, but the Saints don’t have an Aidan Hutchchinson. What they have is the NFL’s 27th-ranked scoring defense, so Mayfield should rebound from his off night. Few Buc fans would complain about a 6-2 record at the break. This team needs to make that happen.