Denver, CO

Buccaneers Had Wrong Mentality in 26-7 Loss to Broncos

Published

4 days ago

September 22, 2024

Buccaneers Had Wrong Mentality in 26-7 Loss to Broncos

It doesn’t take a seasoned NFL veteran to tell the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came in flat and paid for it in their 26-7 loss at the hands of the previously winless Denver Broncos.

All but handing Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix his first career win in the NFL, the Buccaneers offense — which averaged over 25 points per game to start the season — scored just seven points against a team that was allowing an average of nearly 20 per game coming in.

Defensively, Tampa Bay gave up 216 yards through the air to Nix and another 47 on the ground along with a touchdown run and a long gain of 22 yards. Bottom line, the Bucs got beat up by a team that simply wanted it more.

READ MORE: 3 Up, 3 Down From Bucs’ Crushing Loss to Broncos

“I think the biggest difference was the Broncos were pissed off for a week and we were happy for a week,” Buccaneers cornerback Zyon McCollum told BucsGameday after the game. “And we have to figure out a way to create a mentality that every week we’re going to play the same, that every week we’re going to grind the same, that every week we’re going to stay pissed off until the job is finished, which is (the) Super Bowl.”

McCollum came up with six tackles in the game but was also targeted early by Nix and the Denver offense.

On the first drive alone McCollum was targeted on completions that gained Denver six, 31, and two yards respectively. The drive ended with a three yard scramble by Nix for a touchdown.

“My mind just wasn’t there at all,” McCollum said of the 31-yard completion. “My technique was just absolutely terrible. That’s pretty much all it. My feet got caught up and yeah, he got behind me.”

It’s somewhat refreshing to hear an NFL player admit what onlookers essentially knew all along, that the team came out flat and it would appear fell in love a little too much with their headlines.

This isn’t the first time a Todd Bowles coached Tampa Bay squad fell guilty to ego, and the last time it happened it took a few weeks for it to get rectified.

If it doesn’t get fixed in the next week, the Buccaneers may find themselves dropping back-to-back home games with the 2-1 Philadelphia Eagles coming to town next Sunday afternoon.

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2024 season.

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Denver, CO

Broadway in downtown Denver shut down for more than an hour during morning rush, but nobody knows why

Published

2 hours ago

September 26, 2024

Press Room

Broadway in downtown Denver shut down for more than an hour during morning rush, but nobody knows why

Broadway shut down for more than an hour during morning rush

00:22

Slow traffic on Broadway isn’t unusual on weekday mornings, but Thursday was particularly frustrating for drivers as they approached the state Capitol. Despite a sign warning of only an approaching left lane closure, it turns out the entire street was closed between Colfax and 14th Street.

Broadway was closed from approximately 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Denver police officers routed drivers east and west on Colfax to get around the closure.

Broadway was shut down in downtown Denver but nobody seems to know why.

CBS

CBS News Colorado asked the Denver Police Department why Broadway was closed, but the media relations unit told us they had no calls for service and that perhaps the closure was due to an event. CBS News Colorado checked with the Civic Center Conservancy, but they were unaware of any events on Thursday morning.

DOTI, which is Denver’s Department of Traffic and Infrastructure, has not yet responded to requests for information. Neither has RTD, which operates the Civic Center Station a block-and-a-half away.

Colorado State Patrol has jurisdiction over the state Capitol, but they also had no knowledge of the closure.

CBS News Colorado will continue to seek answers, but it’s looking like this closure may remain a mystery.

Laura Phillips

Laura Phillips is the Managing Editor at CBS News Colorado. She oversees the station’s daily news coverage and works closely with the reporters.

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Denver, CO

Broncos 2024 NFL power rankings tracker: How national experts rank Denver entering Week 4

Published

13 hours ago

September 26, 2024

Press Room

Broncos 2024 NFL power rankings tracker: How national experts rank Denver entering Week 4

It took six games, but the Broncos finally won a game in September under head coach Sean Payton.

Denver beat Tampa, 26-7, on Sunday and for the first time all season, every aspect of the team seemed to be clicking. The defense came up with a season-high seven sacks and a pair of takeaways. And running back Tyler Badie may be the answer to the team’s stagnant run game.

Now, can they replicate that performance against the Jets on Sunday?

Here’s a look at how various national experts rated the Broncos in their power rankings entering Week 4:

The Athletic (No. 28) | Last week: No. 30

“Bo Nix was Sunday’s best rookie quarterback”

“And he’s been the second-best this season. The competition is not as tough as we imagined it would be in April, but still. Nix is second among all quarterbacks this season in rushing (107 yards) and was efficient from the pocket Sunday as Denver got its first win. With Caleb Williams’ struggles, Nix is behind only Jayden Daniels in terms of rookie quarterback value so far,” Josh Kendall writes. See the full rankings.

Bleacher Report (No. 27) | Last week: No. 30

“The first two professional starts for rookie quarterback Bo Nix of the Broncos were rough. But Sunday in Tampa, the former Oregon and Auburn standout gave Denver fans some signs of what the future might hold under center in the Mile High City.” See the full rankings.

CBS Sports (No. 22) | Last week: No. 30

“Sean Payton showed he owns the Bucs with Todd Bowles as coach. That was a clinic. Bo Nix is getting better,” Pete Prisco writes. See the full rankings.

ESPN (No. 27) | Last week: No. 30

“Coach Sean Payton admitted it has been difficult finding a running back rotation that works, especially if Tyler Badie’s flashes are a sign of something bigger. Badie leads the team’s backs with 86 yards on only 10 carries, while Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin are each averaging just 2.2 yards per carry. Much like we saw from Badie in training camp, he patiently waits for openings before popping a big run — such as the 43-yarder in Sunday’s win over the Buccaneers. But Payton has said he typically leans on two-back rotations, whether it’s ‘right, wrong or indifferent.’ Trying to kick-start an inconsistent run game with three backs has proved challenging,” Jeff Legwold writes. See the full rankings.

NFL.com (No. 22) | Last week: No. 30

“Bo Nix played his best NFL game, top to bottom, and he looked remarkably comfortable at times — especially compared to the more chaotic feel the offense had in Weeks 1 and 2. The offensive line protected Nix well, and he made quality snap decisions and delivered very catchable balls more often than not. The run game did just enough, thanks to Nix’s scrambling, Jaleel McLaughlin’s miracle TD early and Tyler Badie’s fine work in the fourth quarter. And how about Denver’s defense? Patrick Surtain II clamped down on Mike Evans, and the front pressured Baker Mayfield relentlessly, to the tune of seven sacks and 18 pressures, per Next Gen Stats. Mayfield threw 33 times, but the longest pass play Denver allowed was for just 13 yards. This win was much-needed after the Broncos let a pair of close games slip away to start the year,” Eric Edholm writes. See the full rankings.

Pro Football Focus (No. 28) | Last week: No. 27

“The Broncos got off the mark in the win column with a competent and convincing win against the Buccaneers, with rookie quarterback Bo Nix earning a 74.1 grade. The defense has been equally impressive through three games and is eighth in EPA per play allowed (-0.173),” Thomas Valentine writes. See the full rankings.

Pro Football Talk (No. 21) | Last week: No. 29

“Well, now things are getting interesting,” Mike Florio writes. See the full rankings.

Sports Illustrated (No. 27) | Last week: No. 31

“I appreciated Sean Payton’s willingness to take the ball off the coin toss and place the game on Bo Nix’s shoulders. Nix has had by far the most ruthless start for rookie quarterbacks in terms of opponents — Seattle, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, and the Jets in Week 4 — and he has turned in two close losses and Sunday’s win,” Conor Orr writes. See the full rankings.

USA Today (No. 22) | Last week: No. 30

“Maybe they’re due a little more respect after facing three teams with a combined 8-1 record, the lone loss the Broncos’ shocking shellacking of the Bucs on Sunday,” Nate Davis writes. See the full rankings.

Yahoo! Sports (No. 28) | Last week: No. 30

“Running back Tyler Badie had 70 yards on nine carries Sunday. Javonte Williams has 52 yards on 24 carries through three games. Bo Nix had a nice breakout Sunday. He still needs support from the run game, and maybe Badie will be the next man up for that job,” Frank Schwab writes. See the full rankings.

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Originally Published: September 26, 2024 at 5:45 a.m.

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