TAMPA Fla. – Katherine Fitzgerald weighs in with her quarter-by-quarter analysis of the Buffalo Bills' 33-27 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
First quarter
Lineup note: Wide receivers and return specialists Isaiah McKenzie and Marquez Stevenson were both active Sunday, after both were inactive last game against the Patriots. On the Buccaneers’ first punt of the day, both Stevenson and McKenzie were on the field, with Stevenson running it back four yards.
Buccaneers start slow: The Buccaneers offense had a botched snap on their first play that set them back 14 yards. Next play, linebacker Matt Milano had a crushing tackle, and the Buccaneers went three-and-out early.
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Singletary featured: On the Bills’ first drive of the day, it was a heavy dose of running back Devin Singletary. Quarterback Josh Allen was 3 of 4 on the drive, throwing to Singletary on each of those attempts. Allen was also sacked and had a batted pass, and the Bills punted after five plays.
Scoring drive: Tampa Bay scored first with a familiar theme: They capitalized on the Bills’ run defense. On first-and-10, Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette ripped off a 47-yard touchdown run to give his team an early lead.
Second quarter
Bucs add three: The Bills were able to hold the Buccaneers to a field goal early in the second quarter. Eli Ankou tallied his first sack as a Bill, bringing Brady down for a loss of two yards. Kicker Ryan Succop was good from 23 yards shortly after.
Bills score: The Buffalo offense got back to what works for a bit early in the second quarter. Three receivers had 20-plus-yard catches on a scoring drive: Emmanuel Sanders (25), Stefon Diggs (24) and Gabriel Davis (21). But they were unable to reach the end zone, with Tyler Bass’ 21-yard field goal getting them on the scoreboard.
Evans in the end zone: Tom Brady hit receiver Mike Evans in the end zone on a reaching grab for a 13-yard touchdown. A defensive pass interference call on Dane Jackson kept the Buccaneers on the field ahead of that.
This drive: It was an ugly end of the quarter for the Bills. The Buccaneers scored again, with Brady running it in with 1:29 left. He also passed Drew Brees for the league record in career completions during that drive. On the next drive, Allen was intercepted by Richard Sherman.
In the second half, the Bills held the Bucs to 110 yards, including just 44 on the ground. But the turnaround went for naught.
Third quarter
Start and stop: Buffalo was unable to do anything with their opening drive of the second half. The Bills attempted a fake punt, which was quite unsuccessful. Running back Matt Breida lost three yards on the play.
Bucs give it back: After the Bills’ fake punt, the Buccaneers also turned it over on downs. Tampa Bay went for it on fourth-and-2, and Buffalo nearly intercepted it. Instead, the Bills got the ball back on their 19 after an unnecessary roughness call.
Scoring drive: Allen found the end zone for the Bills’ first touchdown, running it in from 18 yards out. It brought Allen to 66 yards on seven carries at that point in the game. Singletary had his first carry on the drive, a 29-yard pickup.
A perplexing punt: The Bills picked up 22 yards on five plays on their next drive, unable to convert on third-and-5. At that point, the Bills were 1-for-9 on third down. They decided to punt from their 45 on fourth-and-3 with 2:18 left in the quarter.
Fourth quarter
A run has a catch: A 23-yard run by Allen set up the Bills nicely, and tight end Dawson Knox scored the next play, with a 15-yard catch. But Allen was hurt on the run, limping after, and Mitchell Trubisky briefly warmed up after the drive.
Big stop: The Bills defensive forced a timely three and out after the touchdown. The Buccaneers started on their own 10-yard line. Fournette gained one yard, and Brady was incomplete twice after that, giving the Bills the ball back quickly.
Adding on: The Bills scored on back-to-back drives in the fourth quarter to pull within three. This time, it was a four-yard throw to Gabriel Davis. It was Davis’ fourth touchdown of the season, and came in his home state.
Overtime
Comeback falls short: After they trailed 24-3 at half, the Bills made it 27-27 to head to overtime. However, they were unable to win it there. The Bills won the toss and went three and out. The Buccaneers won the next drive on a 58-yard touchdown from Brady to Breshad Perriman.
