Buccaneers defense falters in second half of 31-23 loss to Lions in NFC divisional round

Updated Jan. 21, 2024 8:17 p.m. ET

Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) — Tampa Bay's defense slowed down one of the NFL's leading offenses for a half.

The Buccaneers had no answer in the second half Sunday and the Detroit Lions scored three touchdowns on their way to a 31-23 victory and a trip to the NFC championship game at San Francisco.

“We fought,” Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles said. “Anything short of the Super Bowl is a disappointment. We didn’t come into make noise. We came in to get to the Super Bowl. So from that standpoint it’s a disappointment.”

The Lions were held to 134 yards as the two teams played to a 10-all halftime tie. Detroit's offense got into a rhythm in the second half as quarterback Jared Goff guided them to 257 yards and the three scores.

“It was huge especially because we know that defense is very stingy” Detroit offensive lineman Taylor Decker said of the second-half burst. “They have a great group, especially against the run. We knew we might have to soften a little with the pass to open up the run game. It’s one of those things. You keep chopping, keep hammering. Those 2, 3-yard gains in the run game are going to go to 10-yard gains.”

One of those runs actually was a 31-yard scoring sprint by rookie Jahmyr Gibbs that put Detroit ahead for good 24-17 with 13:13 remaining.

“They came out and executed their game plan,” said Buccaneers defensive lineman Will Gholston. “We didn’t capitalize on our opportunities when we had the chance.”

Those opportunities included a dropped interception in the end zone by Jamel Dean early in the game, a 50-yard field-goal attempt by Chase McLaughlin that bounced off the left upright and failing to stop the Lions on a fourth and 1 from the Tampa Bay 1.

Bowles, whose team came into the game having won six of its past seven, would not point at what changed with the defense.

“We lost the ballgame," he said. "So whatever play we messed up, but they scored on, probably somebody’s fault, and that’s coaching, included. We’re at the point now where we win as a team we lose as a team, so we aren’t placing blame nowhere.

“It wasn’t the blitzes. Too many mistakes, coverage mistakes. They made some plays. You got to give them credit. They’re a good football team and did a great job."

The miscues also carried over to the offense with two interceptions by quarterback Baker Mayfield, including one that was picked off by Derrick Barnes with 1:39 left in the game.

“It feel like my heart just got ripped out,” said Mayfield who completed 26 of 41 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns.

“Football’s a complex game but it’s also simple. It comes down to taking care of the ball and two-minute drives like that when you know you're going to have four downs to use. Just a bad, bad mistake by me and it sucks because I know what type of group we’ve had all year, that we fought to get to this point. We fought to be in that game. We weren’t supposed to be here by any measures, but we believed in each other and we fought for it. And so yeah, this one’s gonna weigh on me for a while.”

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