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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost their third straight game Thursday night, falling 24-13 at home to the Baltimore Ravens in front of a prime-time audience.
Despite holding a 10-3 lead at the end of the first quarter, the Bucs sputtered on offense for most of the remaining three periods, failing to move the ball consistently. That led to a tired Tampa Bay defense, which got worn down by Lamar Jackson and the Ravens’ dominant running game.
Baltimore racked up a ridiculous 233 yards on the ground, averaging a whopping 7.5 yards per carry.
A late touchdown pass from Tom Brady to Julio Jones gave the Bucs a last-ditch effort in the final minutes, but the Ravens recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal the game.
Brady completed 26 of his 44 passes for 325 yards and a touchdown, with Mike Evans leading the Bucs with 123 yards on six receptions. Leonard Fournette found the end zone in the first quarter, but managed just 24 yards on the ground for the game.
Jackson finished the night with 238 yards and a pair of touchdowns through the air, with no interceptions, adding another 45 yards on the ground. Contrast that with Tampa Bay’s rushing effort, which tallied just 44 yards on 15 carries, good enough for an average of 2.9 yards per attempt.
Baltimore controlled the ball on offense for most of the second half despite being without their top two pass-catchers in tight end Mark Andrews and wide receiver Rashod Bateman, who both left in the first half with injuries.
The Bucs now drop to 3-5 on the season, with a long week ahead before a Week 9 date with the Los Angeles Rams.
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