Bucs Coach Gives Aberrant Response on Denying Tom Brady a Field Goal Chance: “That Clock Was Going..”

Todd Bowles gives an explanation 

The Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles answered the question about the clock mismanagement against the Browns. And it came across as quite unusual to the fans watching closely.“No. That clock was going to run down.” We didn’t have enough to stop it right there, so it was overtime right there, right off the top. Once we couldn’t get the other play — Julio made a great play, — then we couldn’t get there, we were going to overtime,” Bowles said after the game.

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This is a bit unusual because the Browns were playing a fourth and 10 on the Buccaneers’ 12-yard line. The clock still had more than a minute on it. If Bowles had called a timeout there, the Bucs would have got about a minute to get to a field goal position, even after the David Njoku touchdown. And it was realistic because they had Tom Brady in the center. But the Buccaneers did not call a timeout and lost 33 seconds from the clock. That cost them a field goal attempt and, subsequently, the game.

A shock loss for Tom Brady

The Buccaneers came into the game as favorites on the back of a two-game winning streak. They were up against a team that had won just three of their previous 10 games. But the game turned out to be more dramatic than anticipated.

The Brown drew first blood with an early touchdown on their opening drive through wide receiver Anthony Schwartz. Tampa Bay shot back and scored a touchdown in the first quarter as well. The Browns then scored a field goal to end the quarter in the lead. The Buccaneers leveled things up in the second quarter and then took the lead in the third. They maintained the lead till the dying moments before the Browns converted a fourth down to force an OT. 

Nick Chubb scored a touchdown for the Browns in OT to hand them just their fourth win of the season. The Bucs are still sitting atop the NFC South, above the Atlanta Falcons. But the loss did come as a shock to many watching the game.

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