Bucs vs. Rams
Turn of the Season
Turn of the season
By: Alyssa Britton Harr
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers played against the Los Angeles Rams Sunday, November 6th, at home in Raymond James Stadium. The Sunday Salute to Service game was dedicated to veterans who have served our country in honor of Veteran’s Day, November 11th.
The game Sunday vs. the Los Angeles Rams had the Bucs fans eager to win, because last year the Rams ended the Bucs playoff hopes. The Buccaneers had a fantastic season finishing 13-4 as they were second right behind the Green Bay Packers fighting for the top seed in the NFC. Despite a home-field advantage and a remarkable comeback from the Bucs being down 27-3, the Rams inched them out with a last-second field goal to end the game 30-27.
The Buccaneers (3-5) have had a rough start this season and entered the game second in the NFC South. The 2022-2023 football season has been shocking for many fans as most teams that were ranked first or second in their conferences last year have lost records this season.
The Bucs offense started off strong Sunday as they marched down the field and scored a field goal by Ryan Succop in the first quarter. The defense played a very strong game despite a blown play where the Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp scored a long touchdown in the second quarter, and gave the Rams the lead 7-3. The Bucs offense finished the second quarter lackluster as they kept going three and out; however, just before halftime, they scored another field goal for a halftime score of 7-6.
The Bucs offense struggled in the third quarter and relied heavily on the defense to keep the game close. Ram’s kicker Matt Gay kicked a 26-yard field goal to up the score 10-6. Unfortunately, for the eager Bucs fans, the Rams ended the third quarter with another field goal and increased their lead to 13-6.
The Bucs offense showed some life with the field goal closing in on the Rams lead 13-9. The Rams offense was not a match for the Bucs defense, as they held the Rams scoreless in the fourth quarter. As Brady fans have known for years, anything is possible if Tom Brady has the ball. Riling up the Bucs fans, Brady led the offense down the field on a game-winning drive with catches from a supporting staff, and finally, with 9 seconds left in the game, Tom Brady connected with tight end Cade Otton for the game-winning touchdown. This was Cade Otton’s first NFL touchdown, and it was a special moment for him as he had just lost his mother to Parkinson’s disease. Otton stated, “Obviously, I miss my mom and think about her right away. I know she’d be so proud of me…and happy that she got to watch me do it.”
The Bucs won against the Rams with the final score of 16-13, ending the winless drought and scoring a touchdown for the first time in eight quarters. This left the fans hopeful that Tampa Bay can turn the season around as they now stand 1st in the NFC South. Not only did they break the winless streak, Tom Brady also broke Peyton Manning’s passing record and surpassed 100k career passing yards.
Next Sunday November 13th, the Buccaneers will be in Germany playing against the Seattle Seahawks at 9:30 AM eastern time. The Buccaneers hope this game will bring them back even at (5-5) and continue the winning trend.
