Instant analysis: Woeful Rams offense takes game from Bucs, 37-32

The Bucs took a Rams team that had scored nine points all season, a team that had not even scored a touchdown. And yet they - the Bucs, that is - have found a way to lose. In the first game at home.

Ugh.

Final score: Rams 37, Bucs 32.

Uh, do you have it? Thirty-seven.

So how is it? Let us count the ways. Mostly it's because Tampa Bay left the Rams hang around and hang around until the Rams finally decided to say, "Okay, you do not want? We'll take it. "

And that's what they did. They took it.

the Bucs are now 1-2 with the reigning Super Bowl coming to town. Here is a look back at Sunday's shaker head.

• The Bucs had a chance in the final moments, but could not break into the go-ahead score. Some of the blame goes to poor clock management. The Bucs went into the locker room with a timeout in their pockets. (And, in fact, they used when the clock has already been arrested with four seconds.) Bad work there by the Bucs.


• Play of the day? When the Rams converted a third-and-17 with 7:26 left in the fourth quarter and clinging to a 31-26 lead. They converted when Alterraun Verner was reported for interference. On the same game, Vernon Hargreaves was reported for holding, but the sentence was denied. Some players later, the Rams connected on a long TD pass from Case Keenum to Tavon Austin, and that was all she wrote. Fans in the stadium complained about the call, but it looks like the right call.

• Can not pin this loss entirely on kicker Roberto Aguayo, but the rookie kicker did not help. Here there are questions about its reliability. He missed an extra point and a goal attempt 41-yard field. These must be automatically kicks in this league. Now the Bucs have to be nervous every time he goes for a kick, and the bad part is he still has not aligned to a really critical kick. Its Sunday misfire had the Bucs chasing points, the rest of the day.

• Finally, a takeaway. The Bucs went the first two weeks of the season without causing a turnover. When they finally did cause a Sunday, it was huge. Midway through the first quarter, Bucs linebacker Kwon Alexander intercepted Rams Case Keenum quarter and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown. Alexander the pick-six would have tied the game, but Bucs kicker Roberto Aguayo - close your eyes, GM Jason Licht - missed the extra point. In the second quarter, the Bucs got their second delivery when linebacker Lavonte David hit the ball out of the arms of Kenny Britt Rams receiver. Bucs safety Chris Conte recovered and that finally led to another touchdown Bucs.

• Did Adam Humprhies or Julian Edelman? The Bucs have themselves quite a third-down slot-in guy Humphries. specific routes, great hands, toughness, speed. The little guy has everything. He became the passing game the most dangerous weapon behind Mike Evans.

• The biggest concern for Tampa Bay in the future? Well, besides the kicker? Easy: the defense. The Bucs gave up 37 to a Rams team that had scored only nine all season. A touchdown was on a fumble return and another TD drive was the result of a short field set up by an interception. Again. Not a good day for a Bucs defense that gave up too much in a dismal Rams offense.