The Bucs have gotten off to a hot start to begin the season with wins over the Commanders and Lions. Facing the Broncos in Week 3, they went ice cold, as Denver came in and dominated 26-7. The team’s showing sucked the life out of the home crowd and was a major letdown. With that said, here is what was most disappointing this week.

NOT Getting Off To A Hot Start

Broncos QB Bo Nix – Photo by: USA Today

Back in front of their home crowd at Raymond James Stadium, the Bucs had a chance to get off to a hot start and keep it rolling against a Broncos team that has struggled mightily to put points on the board through two games. Rather than controlling the time of possession and tempo, they struggled from the beginning.

Bo Nix settled in on the first drive with a 22-yard completion to Courtland Sutton and a 31-yard completion to Josh Reynolds. Nix then ran it in from three yards out. Following that, with the offense facing a manageable third-and-4, Baker Mayfield forced a deep pass intended for Mike Evans that was easily intercepted by safety Brandon Jones.

By the end of the first quarter, the score was 14-0 Broncos with Denver outgaining Tampa Bay 96 total yards to 22. That is an inexcusably slow start for the Bucs.

The Bucs’ Offensive Line

The Bucs’ offensive line failed to keep Baker Mayfield upright and in the pocket for long throughout the afternoon. It is clear as day that the offensive line sorely misses right tackle Luke Goedeke. Goedeke is a big upgrade over Justin Skule and one of the group’s tone-setters as a physical, trash-talking player.

Without Goedeke’s presence, the offensive line did not set the tone, and the interior offensive line especially struggled. Mayfield was not able to continuously dodge the Broncos’ pass rushers, and he wound up being sacked seven times by six different players. A lot of those fall on the middle of the pocket closing in on him and forcing him to scramble, but not even left tackle Tristan Wirfs was without blame, as he gave up a sack and multiple pressures.

It was not a good game for the big guys as they also failed to communicate well picking up blitzes and sim pressures from overloaded fronts.

QB Baker Mayfield

Broncos S Brandon Jones – Photo by: USA Today

Baker Mayfield did not have his early-season magic on Sunday.

He showed poor decision-making and was missing the spark that he had in the team’s two wins to begin the season. The Broncos gave him fits upfront, sending heavy pressure and quickly forcing the ball out of his hands. That meant settling for short completions early and having to play out of structure. Mayfield also caused some of the sacks that he took on the day as he dropped his eyes and ran into blocked defenders.

Going into this year, the hope was that he would eliminate some of the duds that held him back last year.

His first of this season was costly.

OC Liam Coen’s Gameplan

After calling a gem of a season debut and doing well to make Chris Godwin a heavy focus last week, there were some holes in Liam Coen’s offensive gameplan against the Broncos.

Not only did the offense rely on screen passes to their detriment, but there were also less designed plays for Mike Evans and the rest of the wide receivers. No receiving option had more than 10 yards per catch, and while Evans was draped by star cornerback Pat Surtain II, there is no reason for not scheming up plays to get him open or to involve Godwin and Jalen McMillan on intermediate routes where they would have had more of a talent advantage.

It is clear that when it comes to running backs, there should be an alteration to the gameplan to give Bucky Irving more of an even split with Rachaad White. White profiles best as a receiving back and does look to be a true bell-cow. It is still early, but the offensive blueprint yielded little.

The Bucs’ Pass Rush — Again

It is hard for the secondary to completely hold up without a consistent pass rush, and it is clear that the Bucs’ front seven dearly misses defensive tackles Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey. Without them affecting the middle of the trenches, Bo Nix had plenty of time to pepper throws outside the numbers and scramble when needed. There was no interior pass rush generated, and with Yaya Diaby and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka having quiet days and unable to provide containment, it was a long day at the office. Anthony Nelson also missed an opportune chance to get his first sack of the year late in the third quarter, and his miss on bringing down Nix resulted in a 22-yard scramble.

With the Broncos placing right tackle Mike McGlinchey on the injured reserve earlier this week, they were unable to capitalize.

Going back to Diaby, what is slightly concerning is his ability to bring down opposing quarterbacks. He has had no problem applying pressure, but he has yet to record a sack after coming into the year with a lot of hype. Without Vea and Kancey dividing attention, he has failed to generate the much-needed, drive-altering plays capped with a “Sub-Zero” sack celebration.

CB Jamel Dean

Bucs CB Jamel Dean – Photo by: USA Today

Entering the game, Bo Nix struggled to move the ball through the air. In fact, at a historical rate, completing just 11 of 36 passes for 212 yards and four interceptions on attempts more than five yards down the field this season.

That was not the case on Sunday afternoon, with cornerback Jamel Dean struggling to stop the wide receiver opposite him from creating separation. Every time the ball was thrown Dean’s way, it seemed that he allowed a completion. It was a product of playing off-coverage, but he also was not aggressive to the ball. That allowed Nix to get comfortable and he was 25-36 for 216 passing yards. It was by far his most effective day through the air yet.

Much of that is on the team’s top cornerback, who in addition to his lapses in coverage also failed to make some timely tackles.

Early Missed Chances To Slow Broncos Down

The Bucs had a chance to reclaim some of their lost momentum in the first quarter when outside linebacker Anthony Nelson sacked Bo Nix, causing a fumble that was recovered by defensive tackle Logan Hall. Instead, Greg Gaines was called for being offsides, overturning a big play.

Later in the drive on a fourth-and-1, both Nelson and inside linebacker K.J. Britt had chances to stop running back Jaleel McLaughlin from running it in. Nelson was juked out, and although he slowed up McLaughlin, Britt failed to catch up and he ended up running it in to make it a 14-0 game. The defense had chances but allowed a touchdown drive that gave the Broncos an early two-touchdown advantage.

ILB K.J. Britt

Broncos RB Jaleel McLaughlin and Bucs ILB KJ Britt – Photo by: USA Today

K.J. Britt is at fault for allowing running back Jaleel McLaughlin to race by him to get into the endzone on fourth-and-1 at the one-yard line. After Anthony Nelson gave him plenty of time to get there, he simply failed to wrap up McLaughlin in pursuit.

One has to wonder if SirVocea Dennis would have gotten there on that play.

Britt failed to impress in this one, and it was a game where his lack of speed truly caught up to him. He is on the field to tackle, and he failed to make them.

Britt finished the game with six total tackles on the day.