Ira Kaufman's 10 takeaways from the Bucs-Ravens – JoeBucsFan.com

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BY IRA KAUFMAN

One by one, players and coaches trudged into the locker room after the Tampa Bay game, heads bowed and heartbroken.

Who can blame them?

Monday night's 41-31 loss to Baltimore was compounded by the losses of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, which were likely prolonged. The initial diagnosis is an ankle injury suffered by Godwin late in the game and a hamstring injury suffered by Evans midway through the second quarter when a potential second TD receiver slipped through his fingertips in the left corner of the end zone.

“Our hearts are heavy,” said Todd Bowles, who will have to quickly refocus his players before the Bucs face Atlanta on Sunday in a midseason matchup for first place in the NFC South.

The Bucs built a 10-0 lead before a second-period attack by the Ravens, who totaled 508 yards to extend their winning streak to five games. Lamar Jackson threw two of his five scoring passes in the second quarter after the Bucs had a 140-22 yard lead in the first 15 minutes.

Baltimore's rally was helped by a mistake by Baker Mayfield when Marlon Humphrey intercepted a pass intended for Jalen McMillan in the right corner of the end zone.

The Ravens needed just four plays to drive 80 yards for the go-ahead score, highlighted by a 59-yard completion from Rashod Bateman to the 8-yard line. A holding penalty pushed the Ravens back, but on the second play in the 18th minute, Tampa Bay's defense got out of control, allowing running back Justice Hill to make a short long-range pass for an inexcusable score.

The Bucs never fully recovered from the Evans injury and, unfortunately for Tampa Bay fans, Derrick Henry was just warming up. The NFL's rushing leader gained 146 of his 169 yards in the second half, and late in the game the Buc defenders seemed in no hurry to attack him.

Jackson was a model of efficiency, completing 17 of 22 attempts and posting a passer rating of 158.1, just shy of perfection. He also rushed for 52 yards as the Ravens showed off their physicality with 244 yards on the ground against a stout run defense.

Mayfield threw for 174 yards in the fourth quarter as the Bucs desperately tried to overcome a 34-10 deficit. That's right – the Ravens scored 34 straight points in the middle two quarters.

Cade Otton caught eight passes for 100 yards and Rachaad White had two TD receptions for the Bucs.

A defense that pitched a second-half shutout in New Orleans last week proved no match for Baltimore's potent offense, as the Ravens averaged a staggering 9.4 yards on their 54 snaps.

Now the Bucs must scramble to replace Godwin and Evans, who have combined for 11 TD receptions in seven weeks. It's up to McMillan, Trey Palmer and Sterling Shepard to build enough trust in Mayfield to keep a high-scoring offense going.

Here's how the Ravens beat the Bucs 4-3 on a dismal evening in Tampa:

* Bowles blitzed early and often. Only on the first drive did it end with a sack by the elusive Jackson. Another time, Baltimore burned the Bucs with quick passes that capitalized on shaky tackles. There were also some serious figments in coverage, such as a 9-yard TD pass to tight end Mark Andrews without a Buc in the same zip code.

* For the second straight game, Mayfield couldn't find his rhythm in the second quarter. New Orleans beat him three times in the quarter last week and Humphrey caught him twice on consecutive possessions Monday night. Mayfield's second interception was an ill-advised pass to Godwin, who was ruled out of double coverage.

The Bucs lost more than a touchdown when Mike Evans dropped that end zone pass in the first half.

* Roquan Smith was a terror for the Ravens with 18 tackles and a forced fumble. He's one of the elite linebackers in the league – and the Bucs won't be able to stop him.

* In addition to injuries to Evans and Godwin, rookie Tykee Smith was sidelined with a concussion that could keep him out of the Atlanta game.

*You won't see a quieter game from Lavonte David, who was only credited with two stops. He was caught in the wrong position several times and never made his presence known.

* The only player on either side who did not enter the field? You guessed it, Gator fans…Kyle Trask.

* In the midst of his Hall of Fame career, Henry made an 81-yard run late in the third quarter to set up another Andrews TD catch. In the fourth quarter, Henry rumbled 39 yards to set up his own 13-yard scoring reception. In a word, he was sensational.

* The Ravens hardly played a clean game. They were penalized nine times for 85 yards and fell victim to a lateral intercepted by Zyon McCollum at the Baltimore 30, setting up Mayfield's 11-yard scoring pass to White.

* McCollum was having a solid season, but he looked lost midway through the third quarter when Bateman caught him on a 49-yard TD catch that gave Baltimore a 27-10 lead.

* Kirk Cousins, who threw for a franchise-record 509 yards against the Bucs in Atlanta, will look to do more damage when two 4-3 teams face off on Sunday. This Buc team's resolve will soon be tested.

“When you look around this room, there is no doubt that this team is resilient,” Ben Bredeson said. “We’re going to need people to step up.”