By the end of Thursday night’s 36-30 overtime loss to the Falcons in Atlanta, there was plenty to be disappointed about on the Bucs’ side of things. Tampa Bay led 24-17 at halftime, but the offense mustered up just six points in the second half and both sides of the ball had a hand in giving the game — and the early NFC South lead — away.

Here is who (and what) was most disappointing in the Bucs’ Week 5 loss to the Falcons in primetime.

LB K.J. Britt

Britt’s role in the Bucs defense has expanded by virtue of attrition with SirVocea Dennis landing on injured reserve. Britt was called on to step up in coverage and that step was a bit too slow. On the second play of the game, the Falcons found an advantageous matchup with tight end Kyle Pitts running a seam route that Britt had to carry. The result was a 32-yard explosive that put the Falcons down on the Bucs 36-yard line.

Britt would later get flagged for an unnecessary roughness penalty after Jamel Dean made a great play to break up a pass to receiver Drake London. Three plays later, Khadarel Hodge would get behind Britt in zone coverage for a 22-yard reception to put the Falcons down to the Bucs’ 21-yard line. Overall, Britt was a major culprit in Tampa Bay’s struggles to cover the middle of the field, and Kirk Cousins exploited that area all night.

CB Josh Hayes

Hayes committed a pre-snap penalty that almost cost the Bucs three points in the first quarter. Tampa Bay was able to stop the Falcons on their second drive, setting up a field goal attempt by Falcons’ kicker Younghoe Koo. Koo would miss his 46-yard attempt, keeping the game tied at seven. However, Hayes was called for an offsides penalty, giving Koo another crack from five yards closer. Koo would go on to miss his 41-yard attempt as well, but the penalty could have proved costly.

Todd Bowles’ Spot Drop Zone Defense

Bucs ILB Lavonte David and Falcons WR Drake London – Photo by: USA Today

The battle between the Bucs defense and the Falcons offense was truly feast or famine no matter which side of the ball you looked at it from. If the Bucs pass rush could get home, the Falcons failed to move the ball or went backwards.

But more often than not, Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins had enough time to find the holes in the Tampa Bay defense, carving them up for 214 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. He would go on to throw for an Atlanta-record 509 yards and four touchdowns.

The Bucs mixed little-to-no man coverage into their scheme and the veteran quarterback knew every hole to look for and exploit. Jordan Whitehead, Lavonte David, Britt and Christian Izien all got exploited on seam and dig routes throughout the game. Cousins was able to continuously come back to the middle of the field for 15-25 yard chunks over and over and over and over and over…you get the picture.

S Jordan Whitehead

Speaking of Whitehead, he had a rough game. He misplayed a seam route by London for a big chunk gain in the second quarter. Then, he whiffed on a tackle attempt in the third quarter on a Bijan Robinson run that went for 28 yards and set the Falcons up in the red zone while the Bucs were only leading by a single touchdown.

After a fantastic game in Detroit, perhaps the best of his career, Whitehead has been conspicuously absent from the secondary’s regular plaudits.

DB Tykee Smith

Falcons WR Drake London and Bucs NCB Tykee Smith – Photo by: USA Today

After a fantastic start to the season, Smith was victimized on not one, but two different touchdowns. On the Falcons’ first score of the game, Smith was the victim of some excellent tape study by Atlanta as they knew how he would play underneath coverage in a red zone situation.

All year Tykee has been playing that near the goal line as a “hinge” where he squeezes London inside and then drifts back to the sideline to get under a corner route breaking behind him.

ATL must have seen that in film study and exploited it.

— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) October 4, 2024

Then, in the fourth quarter he would miss a key tackle on fourth down to allow Falcons receiver Darnell Mooney to score his second touchdown of the game.

RB Bucky Irving

Bucs RB Bucky Irving – Photo by: USA Today

Irving’s yards per carry on the night was an impressive 5.4. But it was one of his final carries that almost did the Bucs in. With less than three minutes left in the game and the Bucs driving into Falcons territory to put the final nail in the coffin, he fumbled that would be recovered by the Falcons. Tampa Bay’s defense went on to get the ball back for the offense, but the combination of Irving and Rachaad White couldn’t help pick up one more first down to put the game away.

Bucs Third And Fourth Down Defense

As a part of the continual issues with the holes in zone coverage, Tampa Bay was unable to get off the field on late downs. The Falcons converted six of 14 third downs and two crucial fourth downs on the night. Those conversions included plays of 15 yards on 3rd & 7, a 24-yard touchdown on 3rd & 13 and a 14-yard touchdown on 4th & 3 to tie the game at 27-all in the fourth quarter.

A large portion of those issues were due to poor tackling, as Falcons’ playmakers were able to force multiple missed tackles. On Darnell Mooney’s late score to tie the game, he initially shook off Tykee Smith before breaking a would-be Christian Izien tackle to spring him into the end zone. The Bucs have been one of the worst tackling teams in the NFL through the first quarter of the season.