The Real Reason Why The Buccaneers Didn't Call Their Final Timeout In Detroit
The Buccaneers didn't use their final timeout in Detroit on Sunday in a playoff loss to the Lions and some people are up in arms about it. I get it. I do. But I also understand the players involved here - Todd Bowles and Dan Campbell and realize this was not a normal game.
John Rich did a nice job blogging the outrage and it makes sense. But Bowles and Campbell have a history that goes back almost 20 years. See Campbell was a player on the Dallas Cowboys in 2005. Bowles was the secondary coach. In 2010 and 2011 these two overlapped again, this time being on the same coaching staff in Miami. Campbell was a Coaching intern, then a Tight Ends coach while Bowles was Secondary Coach and ultimately named the interim Head Coach in 2011.
These two have a great friendship and admiration for each other and this was Detroit's moment.
As a Bucs fan, we just made too many mistakes. The dropped INT in the end zone, the missed Field Goal, the two interceptions, the numerous penalties resulting in failed 3rd downs.
But let's double check with some quick math.
- Baker Mayfield throws an interception with 1:33 left. Clock is stopped. Bucs have 1 timeout.
- Detroit takes their first kneeldown at 1:33. It takes two seconds and the clock can get down to :51 seconds before their 2nd down knee. The Bucs do not call timeout.
- Detroit doesn't take the full clock and kneelsdown with 16 seconds left on the playclock. There is 1:05 left in the game. The Bucs again do not call timeout.
- The Lions on 3rd & 12 take their third kneeldown with 14 seconds left on the playclock, 37 seconds left in the game. At this point, the Bucs could call timeout and kind of screw Detroit to take a 49 yard FG, go for it on 4th & 13, or punt.
But at the end of the day, this was clearly a gentlemen's agreement between friends. Campbell could've milked the whole clock and had Jared Goff throw it out of the end zone with time expiring had they not taken quick kneeldowns. He showed respect to Todd Bowles returned the favor. And as a Bucs fan, I'm fine with that.