On Sunday afternoon, the Baltimore Ravens sideline must’ve said something in pre game similar to Ronald Reagan’s famous words in 1987, “Tear down this wall!”.
The Ravens broke down the Bucs defensive wall in every aspect.
The Ravens offense flew passed the Buccaneer’s defense in the air with ease, as quarterback Joe Flacco threw 4 passing touchdowns (two to Torrey Smith) in the first quarter.
The first Ravens’ drive was four plays for 80 yards in 1:49. The second was 4 plays for 22 yards in 1:19, following Jimmy Smith’s intercepted pass from Bucs QB Mike Glennon. And it didn’t stop there, as the Ravens air attack gained a fifth touchdown in the first minute of the second quarter, to go up 35-0.
The Ravens scored 38 first half points which was worse than the Bucs’ first half against the Atlanta Falcons a few weeks ago. They allowed the Ravens to have a franchise best for first half scoring.
So, what does this mean? The Bucs have major issues on both offense and defense and everyone knows it.
The expectations for this season were high coming into week 1 against the division rival Carolina Panthers, but fell short to say the least. The season has been one bad game after another. The performance that the 2014 Bucs are showing concern for many Bucs fans, bringing them to question everything they were excited about just a few months prior.
Was Lovie Smith the right hire for Tampa?: Yes, Smith was the best option available at the time and has a great track record that proves he can handle overcoming adversity. He coached a Bears team to a Super Bowl with Rex Grossman as the QB. Glennon and Josh McCown are better than Grossman are still young enough to grow with the team.
Who is the starting QB?: Although Glennon showed some promise last year and led the Bucs to their single win in 2014, the competition remains open for discussion once McCown returns from his injury. McCown will start again but look for the Bucs to shop around for another QB in the offseason. Tim Tebow is always just a call away.
What should the Bucs do about their defense?: As we have seen, big names don’t mean much if they aren’t properly coached. The Bucs should shake up their defense and try some new styles and then consider searching for a defensive coordinator. The Bucs just haven’t been the same since Monte Kiffin left after 2008.
