The Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw their four-game winning-streak come to a screeching halt today against the Houston Texans, falling to the now-AFC South Champions 23-20.

The Bucs got off to a rough start again, courtesy of quarterback Jameis Winston, who had two interceptions on the team’s first two drives, putting Tampa Bay in an early 10-0 hole. While the Bucs’ defense did a great job containing Deshaun Watson, it wasn’t enough to overcome the mistakes of the Bucs offense.

With that, here are some initial thoughts on today’s loss.

Winston continues to befuddle

While he may be dealing with a thumb injury, Winston’s interception problem isn’t something new. What’s most concerning is that he tends to have a knack for turning the ball over almost immediately in a game. The Bucs constantly seem to be playing from behind because of their quarterback. Granted, Winston can put up huge numbers, and his 335 yards today gives him 4,908 on the season. But, what good are big numbers if you’re going to turn the ball over so much? The team has decided to bring Winston back in 2020, but you can be sure they’ll find a backup quarterback capable of pushing Winston. (As I said the other day, Winston can thank Blaine Gabbert’s injury for his return to the Bucs.)

Jason Pierre-Paul shines

Pierre-Paul had three of the team’s five sacks today on Watson, who was held to just 184 yards passing with zero touchdowns and a pick. For JPP, it was the third three-sack game of his career, and the first since Week 6 of the 2017 season when he was with the New York Giants. Tampa Bay’s defense has been coming on strong in the second half of the year, and Pierre-Paul has been a big reason why. JPP is set to become a free agent at the end of the year, so these could very well be the last few games he plays for the Bucs. Nice to see he’s giving it his all.

Missed opportunities

The Bucs turned the ball over five times today (four interceptions by Winston and a lost fumble by running back Peyton Barer), yet still only lost by three points. For once, their defense was carrying this team, holding the Texans in check. But, Tampa Bay’s offense, which was playing with a depleted receiving corps, was unable to capitalize. In the end, the absence of playmakers coupled with the injury to Winston was just too much for Tampa Bay to overcome. Yet, despite all their mistakes, they still had a chance to win it in the end. And, as tough as the loss may be, that says a lot about this team and their ability to compete.

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