Buccaneers Defense Fails in 26-7 Loss to Broncos

After coming off a gritty, thrilling 20-16 win over the Detroit Lions, where the defense was the main reason for the victory, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could not stop Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix and company on their way to a 26-7 loss.

The injuries on the defensive line for the Bucs started to play a factor and especially early in the game, the Broncos were efficient on first down and had a much better start in the run game thanks to Nix.

The Broncos scored two touchdowns in the game, and they both came by way of the run in the first quarter. Some said this was a trap game for Tampa Bay, and well they sure got trapped.

Nix was causing the most problems for the Bucs as early in the season, there has been a trend for the Bucs defense being exposed by dual-threat QBs. Nix rushed the ball nine times for 47 yards but kept the Bucs linebackers and secondary guessing which allowed for an open playbook and more play-action calls.

So, how can they fix the defense ahead of a big showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles next week?

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Get healthy. The Buccaneers will need to hear some good news on the injury front this week and hopefully get back nose tackle Vita Vea and another defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, who has not yet played this season. And they will be another week closer to getting All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr.